Pain
by ForTheLoveOfLiterature01
Summary: Everyone has their pain. Some can let go, while others try to forget by distracting themselves. That's exactly what Orihime needs - a distraction from her pain - her life. And it comes in the form of a challenge - to play cupid. It isn't as easy as it sounds, and Orihime will soon find out that love and fate cannot be easily controlled. IchiHimeRenRuki, rated T for dark themes.
1. The Meeting

**So this is my first Bleach fanfic, and only my second fanfic on this account, so be nice. AU: Society, shinigami and hollow are non-existent, buuuut they might make a cameo. Confused? Perfect. **

**I will try to keep characters as OC as possible, however, I will tweak something's to make it believable. I have a plot for this, guys. I will not be making Ulquiorra all warm and fuzzy (IF he does pop up somewhere along the way) so don't expect me to. IchiHime will be main pairing and protagonists, but since in third person/god's eye, I will also be expanding on other… relationships and situations as I see fit. This was half of one chapter originally, but I thought 3,000+ was enough for the first chapter, so I have the second chapter in progress. Feedback is appreciated!**

**I do not own Bleach, or the image I have used as my cover, all credit goes to they're creators. **

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"–up to my desk and line up neatly and I will give you your timetable for this year. If you have a blank in your timetable, you need to go straight to the office after receiving your timetable, or else, go straight to your first classes of the year…"

_Just go away. _Tap, tap, tap.

"–this year will be a very important year for you all, make sure you get all homework and assignments in on time…"

_Ugh, stop reminding me, I already know. _Tap, tap, tap, tap.

"–notices later on next week for those students wanting to participate in the annual Children's Hospital fundraiser…"

An auburn head perked up, rising slightly, before falling back down. She gnawed on her lip until it bled, but she barely noticed. It would appear she was only concentrating on the rhythmic tapping as her eyes were glued to the spot, unblinking. But a thousand things were running through her mind in that instance as she listened intently for anything of interest, not even acknowledging the growing frustration on the face around her.

_That would be a great distraction from you; I think I'll go check the notice board for any other activities I can sign up to again this year. Anything to keep myself busy, so I don't have to face reality. Shut up, I know, okay! I have until the year ends, anyway, so just leave me alone. _Tap, tap, tap–

"ORIHIME INOUE, STOP THAT ANNOYING TAPPING NOW!" an annoyed shriek came from the front of the grey cubed classroom. The source of the deafening noise came from a slender woman, standing above her students, glaring at the beetroot, silent girl. All eyes were on the perpetrator, and she felt her body react instinctively, curling inwardly as it always did as much as she fought against it. Long amber locks falling into their typical bangs that covered her cloudy grey eyes though she wore them pinned back, hiding her furious blush and embarrassment.

_At least it's gone, for now. _

"Ano, s-sorry sensei," a soft, hasty apology came from her lips, just loud enough for the teacher and the rest of the class to hear. She let both arms drop to her lap to conceal her favourite pink fluffy pen she had been tapping on the desk with and narrowed her eyes, before inhaling. She swallowed again and lifted her head up to face the burning stares of her classmates, eyes closed as a warm smile broke across her face at her teacher. Her voice came much louder this time, but slower, as though she were treading vigilantly around what she was going to say next: "I was trying to shoo away the dancing little fairies on my desk, sensei. They were distracting me from hearing the notices."

A snigger went around the room, as well as slight grumbles and whispers.

"_Ugh, not this year too. I thought she was supposed to be smart, or somethin'?" _

"_What a freak..." _

"_She's such a ditz; all boobs, no brains…" _

"_Is she on drugs?" _

"_Nah, she's probably just retarded." _

The older woman sighed, not even fazed anymore by the obvious remarks she had heard so often in the past, and continued to prattle off the rest of the information they needed to know before the shrill ring of the bell alerted everyone that homeroom had ended. Just as the students all began to get up and leave, the older woman yelled again, reminding everyone once more to come and collect their timetables or they wouldn't know which class to go to now. Some grumbled, probably hoping to use that as an excuse to bunk on the first day of their last year of high school. The girl stood sluggishly, straining to pick up her heavy bag from the floor and unzipping it, pulled out various books from her bag and slung it over her shoulder again, with much more ease. _Why did I have to bring _all _of them today? _She blamed her stubbornness and lack of upper-body strength.

A towering electric blue head bobbed past the huffing Orihime who stood in line waiting for the other students to finish getting their timetables before she made any move to retrieve hers. The figure bumped against her shoulder, uncaring, strutting straight out of the door, grumbling something like, "fuck classes". She winced at the use of language and the pain that shot through her arm. The girl glanced after him, rubbing her shoulder lightly while wondering if he was made out of concrete. _Certainly felt like it_, she thought to herself, unsurprised. _Maybe I'm just a big, soft marshmallow_, _or a banana possibly – easily bruised. _

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw familiar girls glancing in her direction, giggling madly. They had their hands covering their mouths, as though to share a secret, but their high-pitched voices were so obviously loud. As though they knew she was listening. Orihime knew they did.

"Ugh, she's just so… so weird!"

"I know right! Definitely the weirdest girl in our grade. Actually, the weirdest girl in the _school!_"

"Can she even talk properly? All I hear coming out of her mouth is mumble, mumble, mumble. Like, speak up we can't hear you! And when she does speak, it's as though she's from a different planet!"

"It just freaks the fuck out of me, like she's hallucinating shit, am I right? And she dresses horribly, look at that plain Jane. She's such an eyesore."

Orihime took a peek down at her uniform. She was wearing it how everyone else wore it, wasn't she? Or maybe she was wearing it backwards, or inside out. Her eyes widened, scanning her body to make sure she hadn't put her clothes on backwards again without noticing. It wasn't her fault she enjoyed watching the cartoons and anime they showed in the mornings before school. They made her day just a little bit better, before it even begun. As long as she watched her cartoons in the morning, she knew she'd have a good day. Or at least what a good day was for Orihime Inoue.

"And that _hair! _Disastrous. I don't know how she can show herself in public with that ugly orange mop!" cruel cackles erupted from the other side of the room.

Orihime bit her lip hard to prevent the tears from forming in her eyes, knowing full well they would only embarrass her further if she let them get to her. Sighing, she accepted the fact that this year was going to be another bad one for her. What was even worst this year was that her best friend, Tatsuki, had been moved into another homeroom, after four years in the same class together. Of course, she would have other classes with Tatsuki, it wasn't the end of the world and she knew it was selfish of her to feel that way, but the fifteen minutes she had in the morning with these girls was the most horrible part of her day. Tatsuki would always stand up for her, but now she wasn't here. Why did Tatsuki have to fail one or two of her classes last year? But Orihime knew how passionate her best friend was about martial arts. Tatsuki wanted to be a famous fighter, so she focused a lot of her energy into achieving that goal, instead of passing high school. Because she was an above average student, Orihime had been placed in this class, as did the other students, including the two bickering girls, believe it or not. Tatsuki was lucky – she had been put in the class for average and below average students for failing the end of year exams, or rather not attending them, but was now with their other friends Nel and Rangiku. Orihime was less fortunate, and though she had been in the same class for the past four years, the girl barely spoke to anyone at all, with the exception of Tatsuki when they were in the same class obviously, ad Rukia Kuchiki, another one of her good friends, who did not like first days at all. If only she had worked a little harder, perhaps she would have been placed in the top class, and then at least she would have her sewing class acquaintance Ishida-kun to make idle chit-chat with.

She hated being on her own, without her best friend and only other person who socially accepted her in her entire class, but she also hated relying so much on Tatsuki to protect her. Orihime wanted to stand up for herself – she just didn't know how. She had never so much as raise her voice to anyone before (anyone _real _of course), let alone have the hate in her heart to voice the witty comebacks that passed through her mind from time to time when they harassed her. The girl was a kind soul – she didn't believe that two wrongs made it right, and thus would never treat others as they treated her. If this was how it made her feel, how would it make them feel? Tatsuki, on the other hand, did not care how the other person felt if they had hurt her friends; she was extremely protective like that, and always had been, since the first time they met and Tatsuki had thrown some bullies off of her for pulling the auburn locks that Tatsuki said not long after reminded her of her good friend. Last year the two girls had simply glared at the girl every morning, leaving the torture for any opportunity where Tatsuki wasn't around Orihime, but now…

"_The ugly colour suits her, though, don't ya think? A weird colour for a big weirdo." _

It wasn't her hair colour that really made them attack her appearance, because she knew they would never say that to Rangiku-san. It was the fact that Orihime was unusual – everyone knew it – especially the said girl. Orihime knew she was weird, and that was okay, so she didn't mind students the rude interpretations and generalizing comments here and there – they were only expressing the truth, albeit it was as they liked to see it, and she couldn't be mean to anyone who was so blind to not see between the lines and simply judge others because of what they saw. It was because Orihime knew she was not like them, that she was able to see past the hurtful snide others threw at her, and hold her head high, but it hurt. Boy, did it hurt. More than they would ever know. She smiled even if it did feel like a knife was piercing her heart with every word, every sideways glance or hushed giggle. They did not know her, so why did they have to judge her like they did? Why did they have to make her feel absolutely horrible and wishing she hadn't been born?

Sometimes she even liked to think of herself as a *gulp* actual princess, like Snow White, or Cinderella – a kind soul who only wanted to be happy, but was pushed down by others who did not want that, until one day her prince rescued her and everyone would feel bad for the way they treated her, but Orihime would courteously receive their apology and they would all say how compassionate and beautiful and…

_I'm getting ahead of myself again, _she sighed mentally.

In fact, Orihime Inoue welcomed the knowledge the she was a little… odd, and could proudly say that she was different. Most of the time. The voices were definitely not something to be embraced, but she knew even when she did say such silly things, no one would take her seriously, and that was better than she could ever hope for – to be thought of as a complete airhead than a raging lunatic who argued with the voices in her head and things others couldn't see.

"Oi, why are you making fun of her hair colour? Mine's weirder than hers, you don't see me getting picked on because of it," an irritated, bored voice came from behind the frail figure and the girl jumped in fright, letting go of the books she didn't realise she had been gripping to her chest like a lifesaver. The hardback novels scattered on the floor before her, and she bent down to get them, sighing once more. Definitely not her day. First people stare at her, and then tease her, and now frighten her until she drops her books everywhere. _I just can't get a break, can I? _She thought irritably, though not letting her frustration show, though her mask was close to breaking. A figure suddenly steps towards her, and she can feel a shadow looming over her. She froze, not wanting anyone to sneak up on her now. From this angle, they could probably pour cold water over her on 'accident' or push her into the crotch of some repulsive male or even… see down her top!

Her hands were placed on the first book, trying to cover the title quickly before the person would see it. People already thought she was weird enough; she didn't need them seeing her questionable reading material as well. Then again, they were English books, and most of the students here couldn't fully comprehend the language as well as she could, so she relaxed a little, and continued to seize the books strewn on the off-white linoleum floor. The girl didn't dare glance up in fear that it was one of the girls. However, long legs dropped to one knee, and snatched up the book Orihime had been reaching for, a flash of tan, lean arms. Orihime was shocked, but kept her head down, still not wanting to look at the person who knelt in front of her, intruding her personal space. From the sight of shuffling, disappearing feet, she denoted that most of the class must have left, already over the sudden outburst that silenced the two girls at once.

"Endless Love, huh? I didn't know you were into this stuff, Inoue." The same deep voice from before was loud in her ears now, even louder than when he was behind her. She was surprised – the person actually knew her name. It sounded strangely familiar, the way her name rolled off his tongue. She liked the sound of his voice – it was smooth and though he still maintained the bored tone, she could tell he wasn't making fun of her for reading such a silly romance novel with such a cliché title. Orihime was curious now; most people would laugh at her and call her a complete dork. Tatsuki thought it was stupid for Orihime to fill her mind with such fantasies of love at first sight, unrequited love, and knights in shining armour, whereas Nel was more into manga and Rangiku just didn't like reading full stop unless it was a scandalous tabloid. Orihime just suspected Tatsuki was bitter from the bad break up her and her first boyfriend had gone through in the earlier years of high school. They had been together for a few months, and one day Tatsuki went over there to find him losing his virginity to the pretty girl from next door. After beating the crap out of both of them, she felt great and said she never wanted to date again, and that was well over a year ago, almost two years ago, when they were sixteen. She still hasn't had another relationship to this day, but then again neither has Orihime. At least, not with someone that wasn't a fictional character.

"Y-Yeah, it's stupid, I know." The girl laughed shakily. From experience, Orihime knew that if she acknowledged how dorky the things she liked were, then usually people didn't carry it on any further, most of the time.

"Nah, I think it's… cool that you're into reading actual books instead of gossip magazines."

Orihime eyes almost popped out of her skull. Cool? She's not even sure if she had ever heard anyone use her and cool in the same sentence before, especially since she was supposed to be the _weirdest girl in school, _she grimaced. Long fingers swept all of the books up in one motion, stacking them neatly in a calloused hand. The English novel was held out in front of her face, while the others were perched perfectly for her perusal.

"Here."

Orihime's curiosity won and she stole a glance, or at least tried. She lifted her head and swiftly pushed her auburn locks out of her eyes, immediately locking them with a pair of chocolate brown one's. The 'thank you' she was about to voice was caught in her throat when she realised exactly who was helping her. Down on one knee, with her books balanced in one hand and a muscular arm extended out towards her, grasping the awkwardly titled book, was a scowling Ichigo Kurosaki. A deep blush coated her cheeks and the girl was left wordless, mouth slightly agape as she averted her eyes quickly, realising she had been staring for far too long. The taller boy simply raised an eyebrow, and waited for her to say something_. Then again, his face is a much better view than the floor…._

Her cheeks reddened even more at that thought. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat and nervously lifted her face to meet his intense gaze that held her eyes in place. She suddenly realised how close he actually was; she could practically feel his warm breath fanning across her face. _At least it smells like he actually brushes his teeth in the morning… _

"Uhhh… a-arigato, Kurosaki-kun." Her reply was slow and consisted of her usual softly spoken words. She hastily reached for the book that was being handed to her, and then stood abruptly, straightening out her skirt and bag.

"No problems, Inoue. Where are you going with all these romance novels?" Ichigo quizzed enquiringly. Orihime, embarrassed and slightly startled that the other teen had been able to read the titles after all, cursed herself mentally a thousand times while her cheeks heated up again. Then again, she was sure the intimate couples on the fronts probably didn't do well to conceal that fact.

"W-Well, I borrowed them off Ochi-sensei so I would have something to read for the holidays because the librarian is evil and associates with the little blue men, but now I'm done reading them so I'm giving them back, I guess."

A smile played on Icihgo's lips. _I'd forgotten how strange she was… _

"You've read _all _of these already?" He eyed the small bookcase he held in one hand. There were seven books in total, each pushing two or three hundred pages easily. The girl simply laughed again fretfully, as though she were afraid he would turn on her and start bullying her like those other girls had just then. She knew he wouldn't though – it was Ichigo Kurosaki; she wasn't sure if she had ever heard him insult anyone out of spite.

"Yeah, I have no social life outside of work, except the occasional coffee date with Tatsuki and that."

"There's nothing special about it, really. I feel bad, how is Tatsuki? I haven't talked to her –"

"Oi, you two! Stop flirting and come and get your timetables! I don't have all day to hang around waiting, I have students waiting to come in!" their teacher cut their conversation short, her tone coated in annoyance. The two just stood their blankly, then suddenly her words hit them, a furious blush painted across their noses.

"We're not flirting!" both said in unison. Orihime held her hands up in defence, while Ichigo, who surged forward in an attempt to shake his free fist at the older woman, however only ended up tripping over his own feet and hitting his head on a desk, before tumbling face first to the floor. From the loud thump and groans coming from the orange-headed figure, it must have hurt.

"Gosh, you're so riled up Ichigo! Orihime, just take yours and Ichigo's timetable and make sure that punk gets to class _without _falling flat on his face! He looks like he might need to go to the nurse's office, so please be a dear and haul his butt there for me, okay princess? I'll collect the books, thank you for returning them, bye Orihime-chan." The teacher smiled sincerely, all frustration dissipated as she looked at the blushing teen, who simply accepted the timetables graciously with a bow, and then peeled a somewhat dazed Kurosaki-kun off the linoleum to hurry him out into the corridor before sensei could make any more comments about how much of a punk Ichigo Kurosaki was, or worse, how much of a punk she was for tapping her pen in class.

As she watched their backs retreat, Orihime awkwardly supporting the boy, she smiled again, mischievously and knowingly.

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**Thoughts? Too OC orrrrr? I dunno, I think I tried too hard. **

**-ForTheLoveOfLiterature01**


	2. Awkward

**Oh my goodness! I was honestly absolutely overwhelmed with the feedback I got from just the first chapter! I'd like to thank DeathBerryHime, racesa36, AtlantaGeorgia, kally-kal and that one guest for reviewing, and all those who have followed this story and made it a favorite. I really appreciate the positive feedback! Okay, so this chapter just gives a bit more background for my story, a scene-setter, if you will. So you will be able to picture my Alternative Universe more clearly. Next chapter: the plot starts! I'll t****ry to update sooner, but this term is quite important for me so I'll actually have to take initiative and maaaybe complete my history assessment that was due two weeks ago, instead of writing a 5,674 word chapter. So yup. Reviews? Feedback? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters I have and will use, nor the image I have used as a cover. All prompts to their creators.**

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Five minutes later, Orihime had finally managed to drag Ichigo to the nurse's office, down a small hallway branching off the main corridor. By drag, she had to literally lug him by the sleeve of his t-shirt across the buffed floors, stopping a few times along the way to catch her breath. Somewhere along the way, he had lost consciousness completely, and truth be told it worried her endlessly. A hundred various scenarios ran through her head, none of them good or assuring. She was glad that everyone had made their way to class by now, or it would have made it extremely difficult to explain to others why she was heaving Ichigo Kurosaki down the hallway as though he were a dead body. _What does this boy eat? I swear it's like lugging around at least twenty of those flour bags at work!_

Her bones and joints cried out in relief when she saw that door. However, since her bad luck never failed to make her life miserable, the school nurse, Unohana-san, was apparently not in at this very moment. Orihime wasn't one hundred percent sure at first, so she knocked and knocked and knocked until she finally acknowledged the fact that any sane person would answer their door if someone knocked nonstop for about five minutes. Exasperated at the sudden turn of events, Orihime sighed heavily and felt her knees give out. She slid down the wall, gathering her bent lanky legs in front of her and hugging them tightly as she pressed her face against them, letting her burnt orange hair cascade around her shoulders. Orihime Inoue was just frustrated. _How could things turn out like this on the first day of my last year? What did I do wrong? I haven't done anything to deserve this, have I? _She paused, thinking. _Was it because I still haven't taken back those movies I borrowed from the video shop? I can't help it; I just had to rent out the entire fifth season of Vampire Diaries, in English of course. It was better than illegally downloading it, which I would defiantly do if I were faced with giving up my weekly dose of the Salvatore brothers. _She frowned as guilt tugged at her heart, and begrudgingly made a mental note to take the movies back to the store… tomorrow, after she had watched the cute Delena moments tonight. She grimaced, thinking of all the other things she had simply pushed aside during the holidays. _Like studying up on mathematics, _another inward groan, this time more like a subdued screech._ I'm still depressed about the fact that I don't know the difference between the geometry and geography. It's not my fault that I hate numbers and-and lines! It's the little blue me; they use them as a code! _The princess wanted to scream now, not in her mind but aloud, for everyone to hear and rush to her and get her out of this awful, awful situation. And she would have too, if she didn't hear a muffled groan come from directly beside her. She froze, and peeked at the figure haphazardly strewn in all directions, bright orange hair sticking out in all directions like a flaming torch. She was precipitously aware of the very unladylike way that she was sitting, and became very uncomfortable sitting so close to the currently unconscious Kurosaki Ichigo with her knees up, her skirt hitching up so that if the boy were to wake up suddenly he would get a very good view of her yellow duckling-printed underwear. At that thought she shifted to move her slim legs underneath her so that she was kneeling, legs closed and hands in her lap, tugging down at the hem of the grey fabric. She leaned in closer; Orihime took this time to study him attentively.

_It feels like I haven't seen him in so long. He's so… different. _

Stormy grey eyes raked over his long, lean body. He was much taller than her now, she probably came up to his chin – he had been the same height as her the last time she saw him, she was certain. But now not only was he tall, but he was definitely muscular; arms toned though he didn't show it off by wearing a shirt that clung to his body. She could even see how prominent Ichigo's chest was through his shirt with the rise and fall of his torso. _No wonder why he's so heavy – he's basically all muscle. _It made her flush scarlet, an effect she was reminded of that just came naturally in his presence if she recalled correctly, so she redirected her gaze, berating herself for staring at him in such an inappropriate manner. Orihime's eyes wandered to his face, serene and peaceful in his cataleptic state. Even his face was different – it had lost what little baby fat that once graced his chubby cheeks and was now taunt and squared, like he had been cut flawlessly out of marble. His perfectly symmetrical features were enhanced by the tranquil look on his face, rather than the scowl she had grown so used to over the years. She had never seen his face look so… content. Well, at least, only once in the past, and that was a long time ago.

Orihime was shocked at how much he had changed, but even more so that she hadn't noticed it at all. Sure, they had never really been in any classes together, in fact this year was the first in all of their time at high school that he had been put in her class (she guessed he had scored high enough marks last year to be placed in her homeroom) and never really associated during that time except for the odd hello here and there, small talk in line at the canteen, and sometimes when Tatsuki-chan and he were close, the pair would join his friends for lunch on the roof, but she was sure she would have become aware of his... development. _He didn't just grow overnight, right? _

However, it felt as though she hadn't seen the boy in months, maybe even years. She scanned her brain for the last recollection she had of said person, but came up short. The auburn-haired girl frowned; _it must have been such a long time ago, I don't even remember it. Or it could just be my awful memory. Then again, Tatsuki-chan hasn't really talked about Kurosaki-kun in a while, definitely over a year. Maybe they had a fight, and Kurosaki-kun has been avoiding Tatsuki-chan? _

She wasn't sure that was the answer. It seemed like no one had any real association with Ichigo Kurosaki anymore. Even last year, his friends Keigo-san and Mizuiro-san would complain how he would never talk or hang out with them anymore outside of school, and even then few words were exchanged, and though Sado-kun would never protest, he too felt like he had been given the cold shoulder, though they didn't particularly "hang out". Nevertheless, that didn't stop Keigo from trying to rush at Ichigo with an unexpected vigour uncommon on Monday mornings, only to be close-lined by the scowling teen as he simply continued to walk off, unaffected. Yes, not only had he lost contact with Tatsuki-chan, but all of his other friends, too.

_Except Kuchiki-san… _Orihime thought bitterly. _Wait, why am I bitter? _She was confused at the hostility in her inner voice, and shook her head free of it. She thought of Kuchiki-san as a very good friend and the girl had trusted and confided so much in her over the very little time she had been at this school that Orihime felt ashamed of herself for even thinking negatively like that towards Kuchiki-san.

Ever since Rukia Kuchiki had started school here, two years ago, nobody had really taken a liking to her. The petite brunette was oddly quiet, even more than Orihime because at least Orihime talked to her friends and whoever would put up with her tall tales and bizarre retention of incidents, and did not fit in with a lot of the girls at first. At one point, people even thought she was stranger than the princess, because even when she spoke, she spoke with so much civility and solemnity, like she were a grown up. But Orihime didn't think it was strange – she enjoyed talking to the quiet girl, and soon found she was actually very nice and smile a lot when she wanted to. Kuchiki-san could be stubborn and obtrusive at times, even violent, once you got to know the petite girl. Orihime would invite her to join her group under the tree for lunch, although most of her friends initially protested, with the exception of Tatsuki because she actually did see how hard Orihime was trying to get this girl to fit in and break her shy demeanour in front of everyone else. It wasn't long after she started that word got around about her background, and everyone began to treat her like royalty, paying her attention where they would have otherwise ignored her. Her brother was a high-ranking general in the army, but after fifteen years of service he decided to resign and take care of his younger sister. Once she was old enough to handle herself at home without burning down the house (Orihime giggled at this point when Kuchiki-san had explained it to her that her twelve year old self did not know that metal and microwaves were a bad combination) Byakuya Kuchiki graciously accepted a long-standing employment offer in politics, and quickly rose to the position of Minster of Defence after only two years working in the department as Vice-Minister of Defence, which was an achievement on its own. Rukia told Orihime how her brother was respected not only for his strong sense of morals and experience, but his name as well. The name Kuchiki was not only well-known in politics, but the family also had a few footholds in other industries, and all of this had been passed on to Byakuya since he was the head of the family now.

Once everyone at school found this out, Rukia was flooded with invitations to parties and 'hanging out sometime' by people she had never even talked to before. Only two people actually treated Rukia the same way as they always did – Orihime Inoue and the only other person Kuchiki-san was close to – Ichigo Kurosaki. To say that the two were close was an understatement; Ichigo and Rukia were _always_ together. The latter never left the Strawberry's side, despite all of his objecting and mean remarks about her childish drawings. The first day she started (which was the second day of 4th form, as mentioned before, Rukia did not like first days) she waltzed straight up to Ichigo, and slapped him over the head as a greeting. Apparently they had met a few days earlier, as Rukia was staying next door. Since then she would follow him around, taunt him, and was brave enough to knock him about when she wanted to. It reminded Orihime of how Tatsuki-chan used to treat Kurosaki-kun, back in middle school and the start of high school. She definitely wasn't shy around him; however when it came to talking to others, Rukia Kuchiki was the definition of _awkward. _Not one student in all of her classes made any attempt to approach her the minute they saw how she introduced herself to Ichigo, and everyone avoided her. _No one even bullied her, or made cruel jokes about the way she looked or talked… _

_They were all intimidated by her. But I wasn't. _

Orihime could even remember the first time she met Kuchiki-san, and how the girl had been sitting by herself at the back of her homeroom on the second morning of the new school year, an unfamiliar face among her peers, and they barely resisted the impulse to stare so blatantly. Her eyes glared icily at the front of the class, while everyone loitered about, waiting for the bell to ring. Tatsuki-chan had not arrived yet, so Orihime introduced herself immediately with a smile and a bow, and decided to take a seat next to the new student. The girl looked back with a surprised expression, as if she was shocked anyone would take the time of their day to talk to her.

"_What's your name?" _

"_Rukia – Rukia Kuchiki." _

"_Kuchiki-san, why do you look so upset at being in our class?" _

_A smile tugged at the dark-haired girl's lips, "I am not as good at hiding my despair as I thought." _

_The taller girl smiled sheepishly. "Not really, may I ask what is bothering you on your first day?" _

"_I was just hoping to get put into the same class as this guy. He's the only person I know here, and perhaps the only friend I have a chance in gaining, from the looks of things." Sigh. _

"_Don't say such things, Kuchiki-san! I'll be your friend, too. Once we get our timetables we can compare them to see if we have classes together! Oh, I know, I know! When my friend Tatsuki-chan gets here you can meet her, too, and we will both be your friends! And even if I can try to help, I can tell you which classes your friend will be in too, if I know him." _

"_T-That sounds really… nice of you, Inoue-san. I deeply appreciate your efforts, and if you could just tell me what classes Ichigo Kurosaki will be in, that would help a lot, too." _

Orihime smiled at the memory, and involuntarily found her stormy eyes gazing at the figure beside her, in that dream-like trance that enveloped the girl when remembering the happier moments in her life. She liked to linger on them, more than she realised apparently, and did not even see the boy before her stirring, brown eyes blinking against the fluorescent glow of the lights directly overhead.

_Ugh, my head is killing me, _Ichigo thought, trying to recollect his bearings. He could feel that he was on hard, slippery floor. His vision was still blurry so he blinked and blinked, until his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the presence close to his head, where his arms were strewn above his head. He let his eyes focus, and immediately caught his breath.

_It's Inoue. She's staring at me, and smiling! What the hell is going on? Why is she so close? Is… is she going to… kiss me? _

Brown eyes widened at the thought, almost boggling out of his head. Her head was barely inches from his, grey orbs gazing down at him as a soft smile graced her pale lips, and her hair cascaded around his face, tickling his neck. He inhaled sharply through his nose, to avoid any unnecessary but impending yelps that might come from her closeness. Ichigo's senses were assaulted by a sweet smell, and he realised that it was her hair – it smelt like she used strawberry-scented shampoo.

"I-Inoue!"

His voice apparently broke her revelry, and she was snapped back to reality from her daydreaming. She immediately noticed the close proximity of their faces; however instead of being met with a calm, serene expression, her eyes locked on to chocolate-coloured spheres, gawking up at her in bewilderment, the boy's face the same colour as the fruit he shared his name with. Her instantaneous reaction was to create some distance between them – she was in his private bubble, invading his personal space, and she hated it when people did that to her. Flinging her body backwards, arms barely catching her weight to support her as legs flailed in different directions until they found the floor and pushed off it to slide away, but then her back found the wall again and she apprehended dreadfully that there was nowhere else she could go.

"K-Kurosaki-kun, I-I am so-so sorry!" her eyes darted in every direction, like a deer caught in the headlights, as her head ran through plausible defences for why she was blatantly and quite obviously gaping at him while he was unconscious. "I-I saw a little blue man dancing on your face! Yes, that's it! I mean, ano, uh, Kurosaki-kun I was just trying to shoo it away, but it was s-so interesting that I had to watch it keep dancing!"

He was surprised at how fast she had distanced herself from him. The boy was kicking himself mentally, repeatedly in fact, for assuming that she was seriously thinking about kissing him. He didn't really believe she was telling the truth this time about the fairies – and a little part of him hoped that _maybe, _just maybe, she was actually staring at him like that because she… liked to stare at him? He chided himself for having such thoughts about her. As if someone as good as Inoue would think of him like that.

Ichigo struggled slightly to sit up and leant on his arms, legs outstretched before him. He glanced over at the girl, and as he took in her appearance, his heart dropped slightly. Wide eyed, back braced against the wall as though she were trying to stay as far away from him as she could. Ichigo saw how absolutely frightened she was, and felt embarrassed for starling the girl so badly. _She wasn't thinking about me… her mind wasn't here; it was focused on something else that made her smile, something good that made her happy. And_ _I just scared the hell out of her. I'm such an idiot. And a fool! Oh god, she probably thinks I'm such an idiot for falling over my own feet! _He shook his head of his deliberations and immediately regretted it when a pain erupted from his temple. He gritted his teeth and blocked out the ringing in his ears.

"Sorry Inoue. I scared you, didn't I?"

"No, no, not at all! I had my head in the clouds as usual. You know me, Kurosaki-kun. I haven't changed much." Orihime spoke in her same soprano voice, girlish and soft, just like he remembered, and she let go of the wall to wave her arms in front of her dismissively in that familiar, apologetic gesture she always used. Her close-eyed smile was genuine, but melted into a small scowl, lines creasing above her brow as they knitted together.

"You did worry me for a bit when you wouldn't wake up. I think sensei was concerned too, because she told me to bring you here for her, when you didn't get up straight away. But I knew you would get up eventually, Kurosaki-kun! Tatsuki said that you were very headstrong, so that's how I know you will recover easily from such a little bump on the head!" Again her features return to the smile, the grimace vanishing the moment it appeared.

Ichigo, whose hand was creeping up to rub the bump forming on his temple, instantly dropped it, feeling mortified. Of course he had to act as though it wasn't sore in front of a girl, even though it hurt like a bitch. He really had hit that desk hard. It was his own stupidity which had caused it – he was painfully, easily ruffled and he hated it – so he just had to grin and bear it, though his brain felt as though someone were playing ice hockey against his temples.

_Jeez, you'd think getting decked by Rukia all the time would be enough to make my head like a brick. Then again, her puny punches aren't that sore… _

He laughed shakily, eyes glued to the floor, "I'm so clumsy, tripping over my own feet, eh?"

She giggled into her hand and he had to refrain himself from reddening even more at the idea of the girl laughing at him. "You positively are, Kurosaki-kun. It's okay though, what sensei said was very…" her cheeks blazed red again as she recalled her teacher's words. If she was looking for a reaction, she sure got one, Orihime thought begrudgingly. Grey eyes flickered to see the results as she recalled the hairy incident which had led to their current situation.

He was staring at the floor, face as red as a strawberry and she had to wonder if maybe his mother or father had given him that name because he naturally went bright scarlet effortlessly. Then again, she wasn't very subtle either, and her face probably matched his.

_Why did I have to bring up that? What the fudge is wrong with me?! Maybe I am retarded because I just always manage to get myself in these stupid situations, _she thought, remembering a few other times she had amazingly managed to get herself into trouble because of the things she said.

Her mind wondered back to a few months ago. She had been dragged to this party of Rangiku's friend, after Nel persistently insisted she go as the eighteen year old did not know anyone there and was afraid of the dark when they turned the lights off at parties. Orihime had been talking about the herbs she was growing in the mini garden set-up she had on her kitchen windowsill. When other people around her started to stare at her strangely, and one asked if she grew herb and she said yes, she grew a lot of herbs. The older boy's eyes almost popped out of his head when he heard this, and asked what kind of set-up she was using and how much she would sell them for. Orihime puffed her chest out and marvelled in the chance to show off her superior gardening knowledge she had acquired from growing her rosemary, and mint and marjoram and all of her other pretty smelling plants, saying she grew them on her windowsill but when there wasn't much sun she brought then inside to sit under UV lamps, and they weren't fully grown yet but she was definitely going to get a dime if she sold them. She laughed then, saying that she would never sell them though; she was going to use them in her cooking of course! Then word had gotten around about her "herbs" and suddenly teens in her year and under would sleek next to her and casually ask if she could sell them some. Tatsuki didn't let Orihime go out to parties without her, now. _No wonder why everyone thinks I'm weird and a complete idiot. I couldn't agree with them more. _

She didn't realise how tense she was until she taste blood again – it seemed she had split her lip again, and the heat from her face still hadn't dissipated. It was strange how Kurosaki-kun made her feel. One moment she would feel comfortable and they could be friendly without anything being discomfited, then one mention of anything romantic would set not just her, but also apparently him, on edge, and everything would become…

"Awkward," he finished for her, finally lifting his head to meet her eyes. Grey locked with brown for a second before the former dropped her eyes, long lashes brushing against crimson cheeks.

"I-It's like I haven't seen you in so long, Kurosaki-kun." A gentle mumble came from Orihime, not wanting to match his intense gaze.

"Yeah, for me too, apart from seeing you in the hall. I haven't really talked to you since–" Ichigo stopped short, and this made Orihime glance up at the orange-haired teen to see why. He had that permanent frown on his face again – and she couldn't help but notice how different his face was when he was asleep. She liked how peaceful he looked; like he wasn't constantly tormenting himself over something.

Sensing he was desperate to change the subject for some unknown reason, Orihime started again by subtly quenching the questions burning in her head. "So, you moved into our class this year? I bet Kuchiki-san is glad about that."

She noticed how his shoulders relaxed and he breathed a sigh, though he still remained stiff. She was curious about his reaction, but since she couldn't even place the last time they talked, Orihime shrugged it off as nothing. Knowing Orihime, she had probably run into him and spilt some of her homemade miso soup with chopped seaweed all over his shirt or something, and he was still angry about it.

"Yeah, I worked hard enough last year to actually move up a class for once. My dad was surprised the most. I guess studying does really pay off, even if you are as stupid as I am." He smiled a little, rubbing the back of his head. "But I'm in your class now, so I guess I'm gonna have to study even harder to catch up to you and Rukia. And I don't think she knows yet – you know her; she never turns up to the first day."

"I-I don't think you're stupid, Kurosaki-kun. If you can read my English-titled book, t-then you really aren't stupid because most students in our class can barely understand English." She slightly tripped over her praise, remembering the embarrassing novels she had thought he wouldn't be able to read, however just her luck, it was Ichigo Kurosaki, and she knew from Tatsuki that he was apparently very skilled in the language that seemed foreign to those who spoke only Japanese at home and found it dreary to have to take English classes. Orihime loved English more than any of her other friends, and she had gotten the top marks for that class, due to her love of literature and love of… well, to be honest, romances. She wanted to quickly divert the path of their discussion before they spoke of her embarrassing fetish.

"Yes, Kuchiki-san dislikes first days as much as anyone, yet I can't imagine how she convinced her brother to let her stay home on the first day back from every holiday, when he always makes her go to school, whether it rains or snow for the rest of the year."

He stared at the auburn-haired girl strangely, and she felt compelled to ask if she had obliviously grown a third eye, or a unicorn's horn. _I wouldn't mind being a unicorn – I could use my magical horn to rip open the fabric of time and create a path to another dimension, preferably one where I wasn't such a dork. One where I was a princess, stuck in a lonely world surrounded by beasts, a dragon guarding my tower, until my knight in shining armour... _

"Does she talk to you about her brother?" The sound of his voice brought her back to earth. Orihime shook her head of her thoughts and pulled back the left sleeve of her jersey, holding it closely so she could peer at the light blue digital watch around her slim wrist decorated with small white snowflakes and a figure on face that resembled a… happy snowman?

_She's wearing a Frozen wristwatch, with Olaf on it. _

Somehow he knew Inoue would be that kind of girl – just like his sister Yuzu and he had even caught Karin singing along to that annoying song _'Let it Go'_, but hell, even he had to admit the snowman was cool. Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki had seen Frozen. Not only in a movie theatre, on premier night with his sister Yuzu and Karin after both had begged him to take them or else "dad wouldn't let us go because he says we might go with boys, and boys are perverts with the lights out apparently", but at least twenty times after that when it came out on DVD. Of course Ichigo's dad, being Ichigo's dad, would not miss a chance to pester the hell out of his eldest and only son, so he not only purchased the movie on DVD, but also decided he would go further this time and buy the _soundtrack too, _so whether Ichigo liked it or not, the movie would be played every night after dinner and homework, and whenever their father took them for a car ride or Yuzu decided she wanted to clean, the sound of that maddening tune would sound through the house. Until _'Love is an Open Door' _came on and Yuzu began to violently bang things around while cleaning until her older brother thought it was best to just throw the soundtrack out completely. The movie could stay though. Ichigo couldn't help but feel amused by Inoue's choice of… accessories. It was just like Rukia with her obsession for chappy the rabbit. He waited for her reply.

_It's already ten o'clock. Where did the time go, I'll have my next subject soon and I'm still sitting here talking to Kurosaki-kun… wait, he asked me a question, oh my I'm completely ignoring him. Say something, you fool! _

"Yes, she doesn't like to talk about the subject often, but she has told me… quite a lot." Orihime chose her words carefully, not wanting to divulge the details of the personal conversations they had shared. Orihime followed girl code strictly – whatever was said at a sleepover, stayed between the participants only; her and Rukia, and maybe the bag of marshmallows they were eating. Orihime would dip hers in peanut butter, then eat it, and Rukia even offered to make an attempt at sharing her strange taste once, exclaiming that she liked it! Of course she didn't try any more of her home cooked meals after trying some of her tofu and tsubuan and ending up having to spend the rest of the night curled around her porcelain toilet bowl, assuring a grimacing Orihime that she was fine and *vomit* the food was great. With a shaky voice Orihime had to call Kuchiki-san's older brother to tell him that the petite brunette was very sick with food poisoning and perhaps it would be best if she stayed a few more nights, but he huffed then hung up the phone after stating that he would be there soon. In what felt literally like five minutes, though she swore they lived on the other side of town, he was at her front door, doesn't bother to knock, just barges into her home (she was positive that she had locked it) and sweeps up his sister and her already packed bag, then leaves with a thank you for the lovely time, on my sister's behalf. Rukia was back to school the next day, not even stomach aches enough to stop her from thanking the girl for an amazing night.

"Although, I have met her brother and I can tell he cares about her deeply. Rukia knows that too, which is why she tries her hardest at school, and does come to school every day, even if she is vomiting from my amazing creations!"

Ichigo's expression was one of shock, and disbelief. Orihime didn't know what she had said wrong. Maybe he was surprised because someone other than Rangiku-san had actually tried her weird food; she certainly was. Not even Tatsuki-chan, her best friend, would go near anything her kitchen produced, unless they stood over her shoulder, supervising her to make sure she followed the recipe and didn't 'accidentally' add other… ingredients more suited to her liking.

"_You've even met her brother?" _

Orihime smiled and chuckled nervously, waving a hand in her usual dismissive way, as though brushing off his surprise. "Yes, he has picked up Rukia from my house a few times when she has stayed the night or come over to study afterschool. It seems he never lets her walk anywhere by herself after dark, and won't even let me walk her home sometimes."

Ichigo didn't know how to respond, and just sat there, mouth agape, staring openly at Inoue.

_So that's why Rukia always went home straight afterschool. That sleek, black Mercedes… that must be his car, _Ichigo had recalled a few times where Rukia would be late to catch the morning bus, and was dropped off at the gates by an expensive looking car. He knew she had a brother – she had revealed that the day her met her, when she moved in next door temporarily. Her brother was in the army, but was now the Minister of Defence. That was as far as his knowledge of Rukia Kuchiki went. She had an older brother, but no other living relatives. She was short for a seventeen year old; a midget, he teased sometimes. She was very serious, but absolutely adored Chappy the bunny and watching amine. They were, whether he liked it or not, kind of good friends, but he knew nothing personal about the girl. Sure, she had been over to his house – met his sisters and perverted dad, even stayed in his closet (no questions were asked when she turned up bawling her eyes out right outside his window. How she managed to get herself on to the second floor with her height was beyond him) but he had never been invited over, or even heard her utter a word of her brother – he had end up hearing about him through rumours. And yet, Inoue had even apparently met the famed Kuchiki-sama. Rukia had told him that she and Inoue were friends, but he didn't realise they were that close.

"Maybe I should thank you for being so nice to Rukia – it means she's not aggravating me as much." He grinned at her, regaining his composure, and shifting to push himself up to his feet. "That reminds me, thank you, by the way."

"Hmm?" Orihime murmured softly, watching him as he kneeled in front of her, staring intently into her eyes. She was again overwhelmed by the close proximity of their bodies, and her heart bet a little faster in her chest, a blush creeping over her nose.

"For bringing me to the nurse's office. Thank you, Inoue."

"O-Oh, d-don't mention it Kurosaki-kun! But can I just ask one thing?"

"Sure."

"Kurosaki-kun, have you ever thought of maybe going on a diet?"

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**Might just get started on that next chapter now. I'm itching to write it. Thoughts? **

**-ForTheLoveOfLiterature01**


	3. Rangiku's Proposal

**The plot begins! So with that, let's get straight into it. Thank you for all the reviews, and I am sorry that I haven't replied to any of them! But DeathBerry, I remember you asked for some Rukia? You will be able to look forward to chapter four, then! Oh, and any apologies for any OOCness that may occur in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except maybe the ideas presented and OOC-characteristics. **

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"Let me guess this straight – you weren't in class because you had to take Ichigo to the nurse's office, because he… tripped over his own feet and hit his head on a desk?"

"Uh-huh!"

"You forgot the part where she said he tripped over his feet _because _he got so flustered at the suggestion of them flirting."

"Nel-chan!"

"That's what you said, isn't it?!"

"Okay, okay! So you took him to the nurse's office, but Unohana-san wasn't there, so you started daydreaming–"

"As princess does from time to time."

"Only a little bit! I swear!"

"And he wakes up and you're staring at him, then you two… talk? And after giving him advice on some dietary changes, you gave him his timetable and he walked you to class?"

"Yes! Such an outrageous way to start the year, isn't it?!"

Rangiku Matsumoto merely stared at her bubbly friend, who probably resembled her sister more than anything, fanning a perfectly manicured hand flippantly. "Jeez, the way you hyped it up to be, I would have thought you two had wild sex in the teachers' lounge! Now _that_ would be an outrageous way to start the year," she bared her white teeth, grinning wickedly. It took a moment for the other two brains to click at the hint she was tossing them, before both eyes widened in comprehension.

"Ew!" they both said in unison. "You didn't, did you?"

Nel mimed retching and Orihime simply went bright red all over. The three of them sat in the shade of their tree, and yes, while they did not own the tree (it was on school grounds, so the school owned it, obviously) they had claimed it as their own. The four girl's names were even carved into the bark, curtesy of Tatsuki. Occasionally a group of other student's from there year would pass by or sit down to talk, maybe Isane and Soifon with their volleyball or Nemu with her head bowed, asking if they would to be participants in a scientific experiment her father was conducting, or Yumichika asking for tips from Orihime and Rangiku on how they keep their hair so healthy and shiny.

The voluptuous strawberry blonde waggled her eyebrows and bounced on her knees slightly, fully aware of the jiggling motion her breasts were making. From across the field Keigo-san had a nosebleed.

"Weeeeell, I don't like to brag but, that new student teacher, Hisagi Shuuhei, I think it is, really took a liking to me in P.E, first period, and I just jumped at the chance to show him where the teacher's lounge was – you know, because it being his first day here and all and since I'm just so kind. I think I really did make his first day special." Another foxy grin was flashed their way.

"T-The student teacher?! Ohmygosh, Rangiku-san!" Orihime's voice pitched a few octaves at the scandal that was her friend.

"He must have been in for the shock of his life when you jumped his bones!" Nel thought it was hilarious, and wouldn't stop laughing, until tears were running down her face. In that instance, a small shadow loomed over the three, blocking out the sun's warm rays. A bag dropped next to Orihime, quickly followed by the petite figure of Tatsuki.

"What are we all having a hernia over?" she asked grumpily, undoing the tight bun she had forced her now shoulder-length hair into for practice and letting it cascade down her back, while the top half stuck out messily, matted with sweat. Her forehead gleamed with perspiration, and she smelled like a gym. The group were not stunned at her sudden appearance – usually during morning tea or lunch time, Tatsuki would spend her time in the gym practising her martial arts and sparring with others, since she normally had P.E second period, so she would either stay in the gym well into lunch or come after one or two spars. It seems that was unchanged this year, too.

"Rangiku had sex with the new student teacher in the teacher's lounge!" Nel said in between gasps once she had settled herself, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Orihime wrinkled her nose while sitting next to her best friend so she stealthily reached into her bag and pulled out her Hello Kitty bubblegum-scented aerosol and pretended to spray herself, but sneakily released a liberal amount over her friend, so she didn't have to smell like a gym sock, while the martial artist paid her no attention.

The brunette shrugged, beginning to plat her hair over her slim shoulders. "Eh, I'm not surprised. As soon as I saw him, I knew you nothing would stop you from raping him. All tatted up, even with that scar down the left of his face he's still handsome, and not to mention that 69 on his cheek! I'm sure even just looking at it got you off, eh Ran?" the girl teased mischievously. "Yeah, and I mean it's not like its _illegal _or anything – you're like what, 30?"

"Shut up, Tatsuki! I'm only nineteen, okay!" The topic of age was touchy for Rangiku, who constantly fretted over getting wrinkles, only to stop if someone said that by worrying about worry lines, that's how you get them. The petite girl held her hands up in defence, smirking at the reaction received and at having heard no response to the other jabs. Tatsuki, though serious as she was, loved to joke around when it came to the ditzy strawberry blonde.

"Rangiku-san, isn't it your birthday coming up, though?" Orihime enquired, flipping through her mental calendar and counting the days on her fingers. "Yes, your birthday is two weeks away! I completely forgot! What would you like for a present? Maybe some vanilla scented candles, or a big bottle of bubble bath? I can make you a cake, too, and I know that at least you'll eat it!" the auburn-haired girl was internalizing all the endless possibilities.

Rangiku's face darkened momentarily, before a smile lit up her face. It was too late – they had already seen the pained expression that flickered fleetingly for a second, then reverting back to a large close-eyed grin. Orihime instantly regretted bringing up her birthday – that too, was a sensitive subject for the older girl. Rangiku was the eldest girl in the school, almost two whole years older than most, because for two years, she didn't go to school. She was like Rukia – did not delve into her past a lot, but when she did, she acted as though she could not care less. It had taken a long time for them to actually learn about her past; Rangiku could be as shady as it gets. While the women, because she was, in fact a women rather than a _girl_, had a lot of friends (Rangiku-san was the most popular person in the entire school, with her natural beauty, charisma and 18+ ID, obviously) she was very careful with who she trusted and confided in.

The girl had been an orphan for as long as she could remember, any memories of a family wiped away with time. At the age of five she was in an orphanage, a horrible one where the children would pick on her and the 'Mother' of the house starved her for talking back. One day she met a strange boy who found her locked in a closet, cold and hungry. He offered her some dried persimmons, and when he said his name was Gin, she said it was a weird name. Orihime remembers how Rangiku had kept her tone bored and impassive when discussing the matter, they might as well have been conversing about the weather, but her icy-blue eyes gazed off into space like she wanted to be in that moment again, and though her smile was omnipresent, that same look was in her eyes now as her mind wondered to the person she hadn't thought about in years. No, that was a lie – she thought about him constantly, but never allowed those thoughts to last more than a millisecond. The moment she was reminded of him, she went into a sort of defensive mode. It was a natural instinct for Rangiku, to force her mind into forgetting about him now. However, the dreadful truth of the matter was that the closer it got to _that _awful day, the more she found her unfocused mind drifting to the forbidden subject that was Gin Ichimaru.

"_There is no use in lingering on the past, I know that now. My sense of hope died years ago, with any memories of him." _

_Those were her words, _Orihime thought, _but they weren't for us. They were for her. When she said that, it wasn't her closest and dearest friends she was assuring – Rangiku-san was trying to reassure herself more than anything. _

Rangiku and Gin's relationship was a strong one; the two had been through thick and thin together. They were best friends from the moment they had met. They ran away from the orphanage not long after that fateful day, and lived on the streets for a few years. Gin looked after her, taught her how to fend for herself and they even made a good living as mini con-artists – Gin was very intelligent and liked to play tricks on others. Rangiku was an amazing actress. Together, the pair were unstoppable. He asked her what day was her birthday, and she replied that she did not know; she hadn't been counting the days until she met him. Gin declared that if that was the case, then the day he met her would be her birthday.

According to Rangiku, he would always be there for her birthday, but Gin had a bad habit of just up and leaving the girl on her own, then reappearing after hours, days, weeks, months, as though nothing had happened. The first time she was seven – he left for three days, and came back bloodied and carrying a wad of cash – at least two thousand dollars all bundled up in one neat roll. The next few years he would leave for a few days, only return in the same state, with the same amount of cash. She was ten when he disappeared for two months. It was a long two months for the girl. With every passing day she couldn't help but worry over him; what was he doing? Why did he always leave her? How come he would always be injured when he returned? He came home, back to their abandoned shack which had been boarded up by its previous owners, with no injuries this time, but something had changed in him. Rangiku could tell. Month after month after month, Rangiku would worry; he didn't like to speak about why he had gone or what he had done to earn the money, he only assured her that he would keep her safe, keep her from crying anymore. The years rolled on that way until she was fifteen – she could not take it anymore. Rangiku cried and cried, telling him not to leave her anymore, and he said he couldn't promise that, but he would stay with her for the night. She said she loved him. That night, they made love. Orihime couldn't help but smile at her use of words through her tears for her friend, when she opened up to not only herself, but Neliel and Tatsuki, too. Rangiku only referred to sex with someone as just that sex, maybe fucking occasionally, but never love. The busty beauty had said that she thought he would stay with her now, after them being so… intimate with each other, but she was devastated to wake up the next morning with a note written in the boy's handwriting, with just one word: _"Goodbye." _

She didn't go to school after that, and spent two years making a living as something awfully shameful. But once her seventeenth birthday came around, and she realised that he was not coming back, she decided to move on with her life and go back to school. She had had so many dreams for their life together, but now she had to pursue them without him by her side. It saddened her, to say the least. Not that she would tell anyone that, not even her best friends. Though she tried her hardest to abandon all recollection of the silver-haired young man she knew so long ago, it was impossible, and her friends knew it, however Rangiku-san didn't. She denied it, always acting like she was fine, smiling that fake smile when on the inside she was battling to stop the tears from escaping at the very mention of her birthday. Orihime Inoue felt like smashing her face into a brick wall when she saw her friend trying to conceal her pain behind that plastered-on beam. Rangiku reached into her purse and pulled out a tube of shiny lip gloss, applying a generous amount to pouted lips.

_Rangiku-san always smears on that stuff right before she says something stupid, _Tatsuki perceptually noted in her head.

_Oh-noes, it's going to be like last year all over again, _Neliel grumbled subconsciously. Images of the surprisingly strong strawberry-blonde dragging them all out to town for hernineteenth last year flashed through her mind. Nel remembered it had been a very eventful night – she had only been sixteen at the time, as was Orihime and Tatsuki, nevertheless that didn't stop Rangiku from bouncing up and down on the spot, holding the arm of the male bouncers and pleading for him to let them in too, because it was her birthday and they had just forgot their ID's; they were of age, she promised! They would eventually give in – all men were weak like that, Neliel thought spitefully, but hell saying that you got into a club at sixteen sounded pretty cool when she thought about it. And it had been cool – the lights were pretty, flashing all different colours at different speeds, but it was dark and she hated it, so she stuck close to Tatsuki-chan and Orihime-chan for most of the night. It proved to be a wise decision, given all the creeps there. Many had tried to grope her and Orihime at least once, and not learning the first time how painful it was when her or Tatsuki's fist connected with their jaw or nose, they would have definitely learned the second time, when they were almost beaten to a pulp by a drunken Rangiku. After that they were made to leave, but the night was still young, as stated by the birthday girl, and off to the next club they were. What happened next was… blurry for Nel-chan. She had been chugging back a sweet pink drink with Rangiku, who simply fawned over the men until she had them wrapped around her finger and buying the girl's drinks for the rest of the night, and the others were chatting away animatedly, enjoying the time out and beginning to feel the effect of the alcohol in their system. It was a sight to see, she could remember that much. It was making Orihime-chan more animated and vibrant, and she was waving her hands as Nel vaguely caught the words "blue men out to destroy the world as we know it… I'll be a robot in the future… start the rebellion against their reign… save mankind from extinction!" Tatsuki-chan was actually _flirting _with a guy who looked extremely interested in her and kept making her giggle like the teenage school girl she really was, and Nel-chan had begun dancing on tables wildly, swinging her hips seductively and drunkenly kicking drinks off the bar. It was nothing compared to Rangiku though, who had lost all inhibitions, if she had any to begin with. To say that she was acting over the top would be an understatement – she was taking body shots off of random men, kissing and grinding on whoever was closest to her, whether they were female or male, even standing on the bar and lifting up her silky top over her head to flash her naked breasts to the entire club while she shouted: "I'm wasted, bitches!"

None of them could recall the rest of the night's antics, but somehow they managed to wake up in the middle of the local park – Tatsuki and Orihime huddled together closely in one of those tunnels that spun when you moved (the rocking flow when they stirred was not kind to their pounding heads and they were soon vomiting into the nearest litter bin), Neliel found herself half-buried in the sandbox and Rangiku was strewn over the monkey bars, arms dangling off the edges and boobs hanging between the bars, one completely exposed. They were glad that it was still early morning – the sun had just risen over the horizon, and it was a Sunday, so no one was up that early except for the rare runner.

Nel shuddered. She couldn't lie and say it was a bad night – but it wasn't a good one either. Not knowing what had transpired, not matter how hard they tried, was worrying for the girl's, though it didn't seem to bother Rangiku so they didn't say anything about that night or her radical behaviour. It was her way of forgetting, of pushing aside her emotions; her friends knew that better than anyone. They loved her – Tatsuki included, put aside all the teasing and insults – like a sister. Hell, everyone loved Rangiku, but they didn't know her. Not the way they knew her.

This is how they knew exactly what was going to come out of her mouth, before those glossy pink lips parted to utter a single proposition.

"I had been thinking about it, and Neeeeeel-chaaaaaaaaaan?" She drawled out the auburn-haired girl's name in a very high pitched, imploring tone. The woman pulled out her lower lip, pouting and staring into the girl's eyes with the deepest sincerity and Nel scowled, making the birthmark on her nose shift slightly, narrowing her light hazel eyes.

The teal-haired girl crossed olive-toned arms over her well-endowed chest. "What do you want Rangiku?" she retorted curtly.

"Your apartment is big enough to house a few people, isn't it?"

"No, Rangiku. Not after the last time your friends came over. They trashed my place, and I had to explain to my brothers why it smelt like a fuckin' frat house, then to my landlord the hole that had magically appeared in my wall after that night, much to the protest and denial of all of those idiots that it wasn't any of them. It had to be Kira, or that baldy Ikkaku! Those bastards cost me three hundred dollars!"

"Aw, don't be like that Neliel."

"No, Rangiku. I'm sorry but I just can't. My place is tiny anyway. Ask Orihime."

A grin flickered on the woman's face, and the poor girl who was going to be the victim of her next onslaught shot the smirking green-haired teen a very uncharacteristic glare. Tatsuki breathed a sigh of relief; she knew how persuasive Rangiku could be when she wanted to, even if she didn't have a big apartment the older girl would surely turn on her, and she genuinely felt sorry for Orihime, whose unit was a party-virgin, up until now. She wasn't even sure if alcohol had ever seen her magnet decorated fridge, where the forgetful Orihime would leave notes for herself in the form of magnetic sentences printed where she automatically went to when she got home.

_Of course… _she turned her gaze to the princess, who was fidgeting with the front of her shirt, eyes not making contact with hers.

"Orihime-chan, you still live in that two bedroom flat of yours, don't you? It could probably be quite the large space you know – move a few things into the bedroom, bring a few seats, add some music and it'll be perfect for a little get together!"

The kind-hearted Inoue was not one to say no to her friends; nonetheless she despised the idea of people… strangers… in her house, her sanctuary and most private slice of heaven. She was awfully reluctant, and wasn't making any sudden attempt at appeasing her friend, which surprised the other two. Neliel was glad she had offered up Orihime in her place; truth be told her apartment was a lot bigger than her own, she also had a decent sized patio, and unlike Neliel's, her neighbours were very nice and understanding.

Rangiku tried a different approach. "Maybe you could ask Ichigo to come, too? I'm sure he'd like that!"

Tatsuki's head snapped up. Neliel snickered. Orihime's eyes simply widened.

_Invite Kurosaki-kun to a party at my house? T-That would just be so… bizarre! _

"You could just say that it was for my birthday, and I invited him, if you don't want to seem desperate," she waved nonchalantly, already planning the guest list in her head.

The athletic brunette's fists tightened. "What are you talking about, Rangiku?"

"Oh, that's right, you weren't here. Apparently Hime-chan," Rangiku tipped her head in the furiously blushing Orihime's direction, "had a pretty intense moment with Ichigo, and he picked up her silly love novels after she dropped them."

"He was the one who frightened me enough to drop them in the first place; I told you that, Rangiku! He was standing right behind me and his voice was so loud and low like," she lowered her tender voice to a throaty grumble, trying to imitate his not only with her voice but standing on the tips of her toes and puffing out her chest and holding out her arms, "this". They all rolled their eyes, except for Tatsuki, who glowered.

"You also told me and Nel that he stood up for you when Loly and Menoly were trying to pick on you for your hair colour wasn't it? He said that his hair was weirder than hers, isn't that so cute, Tatsuki-chan? Then Ori-san pointed out that they were flirting –"

"We were just talking, honestly Tatsuki-chan! He was just asking him how you were!"

"Yes, whatever you say eh, Hime." Nel pat a long hand on her shoulder delicately, giving her a patronizing look and that playfully amused smiled. The auburn-haired girl looked dejected, giving up in defending herself.

Rangiku went on, "Ichigo got so… what was the word you used, Nel? _Flustered, _was it? Yes, well he got so _flustered_ that he fell over his own feet, hitting that hard head of his on a desk nevertheless, in front of Orihime and Ori-san. Our princess was so kind that she dragged his ass down the hall to that scary nurse's office, but guess what? She wasn't there. So there's them, sitting there during first period and she got caught staring at him apparently. She claims she was daydreaming, but we all know what she was _really _thinking about, eh Tatsuki-chan? I bet you those dirty romance books she reads influence her mind and secretly she's a closet-pervert." Rangiku laughed and Nel joined in, while Orihime went bright red, stumbling for words.

"T-Tatsuki-chan, you know it isn't like that! W-we, a-ano, I-I meant m-me doesn't like Kurosaki-kun like that! I was just observing how much he had changed – have you seen him lately? He is like a giant; I mean not like Sado-kun but very… biiiggg! I couldn't even remember how long it had been since I had last seen him; can you remember Tatsuki-chan? I-It feels like it's been eons, h-hasn't it?" Orihime chuckled nervously, watching at her best friend and the change in her air. She was tightening her fists, clenching and unclenching them – it was a sign she was angry or upset. Her brow was furrowed and she had a look of contempt for the floor. _There was definitely something off about him, too, _Orihime remarked to herself.

"Yeah, it has been a long time. But that's because he's always with Kuchiki now, so I wouldn't get your hopes up about a possible affair between these two, Rangiku."

"Meh, we'll see. I've seen them together Tatsuki and I can tell that there is definitely nothing sexual going on there. I mean, have you seen the way she just slaps him around, but still continues to follow after him like a lost puppy and constantly nagging him? She seems like a bitch, to me."

Orihime put her foot down, steeling her gaze against the other girl. "First, I would greatly appreciate it if you were not to talk that way about Kuchiki-san when you barely know her, Rangiku-san. If you want me to let you have your twentieth birthday at my house, then you will not speak ill of her again in my presence." Rangiku was dumbfounded, and the other two merely dropped their jaws in awe. It was a rare moment to see Orihime contradict the thoughts of her near-twin, however when she did, it was always because she was standing up for what was right. And she wasn't done yet.

"Secondly, I do not like Kurosaki-kun as more than anything but a friend." Though her voice sounded smooth and silky without a hint of hesitation, Tatsuki knew better.

_That _night flashed through her mind.

Of course she knew better.

"Furthermore, I don't know why you're all scrutinizing my love life, when you all have your own to worry about." Orihime's final conclusion to her justification shocked the group and they all winced as though they really had been electrocuted. Orihime's words rung through their ears, echoing in each's mind. It was a whole five minutes before anyone said anything. Not surprisingly Rangiku would be the first to speak up, and when she did, naturally it would be a challenge to the auburn-haired teen, whose ego was inflated from the response she received. An unfamiliar smug expression had crept its way on to her face, that haughty air mingling in with her smile, turning it to a smirk.

"If you're such the love expert, why don't you set us up, then?" Rangiku tested in her most daring tone.

Tatsuki and Nel swivelled to face Rangiku, both flabbergasted at her awful idea, blushing furiously while doing a good imitation of Orihime when she was nervous.

The auburn-haired girl didn't want to back down, not yet. She waved a pale hand dismissively, scoffing. "Is that all? Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy."

Icy-blue eyes narrow. _Cocky little brat. _

"Fine, so how about making this trickier?"

"How so?"

"Not only do you have to help us score a man, or woman in Tatsuki's case," earning an elbow from said girl, "but you also have to play matchmaker with every person not in a relationship in our year level, and produce a… let's call it… the Perfect Couple's List."

Now it was Orihime's turn for her jaw to drop. She wasn't good at maths, but she was friends with Ishida-kun, the Student Council president, who said there were over thirty students in their year. Small, compared to other schools, but that number might as well have been thirty zillion. "That will take months, maybe even the whole year!"

"If you match one couple, I'll buy you a whole jar of red bean paste. Two couples, Tatsuki will buy your next jar –"

"Hey!"

"And third couple, Nel buys it. Then me again if you match another, and it repeats. The more couple's you manage to match, the more red bean paste we buy you. And they'll be the big jars too – the one's I know you like."

Orihime's eyes glazed over the proposal, before her mind ran away with it.

_I go through at least one jar of red bean paste every two weeks, and at the price they are now, I really can't afford to be buying much of it this year. I had begun to think that I was going to have to give up my red bean paste, but here's Rangiku offering to buy mine as long as I just play cupid for the year. I mean, it'll be a lot of work, but I'm sure I could probably do it. Falling in love doesn't seem that hard to me – well, not from what I've read anyway. And it would actually give me an opportunity to get Rangiku-san's mind off of Ichimaru-san before her birthday. I could find Nel-chan someone, too, someone who wasn't weak, so they could protect her. The possibilities are endless! Who knows, maybe, just maybe, Tatsuki-chan will even be willing to go on date with someone I choose! In fact, I'll make it my mission to match her with someone so perfect for her, she can't say no! _

Her resolve hardened and she made up her mind.

_It will also be a good distraction from it, just the thing I'm looking for, really. _

"I'll do it."

The other two groaned, though they were surreptitiously curious about just who Orihime would set them up with. They both knew that she was one hundred percent right – they were all hopelessly disastrous when it came to love lives, but at least _she _was lucky – at seventeen, Orihime Inoue was as pure as the virgin Mary herself. She had never been kissed. She was untouched, uncorrupted and unaware of the pain of being in love, and maybe that was a good thing. The girl read so many various romance novels that all depicted different scenarios, however all ended the same; the couple would ride off into the sunset together, happily ever after. It wasn't like that at all – not even after they rode off into the sunset.

The strawberry-blonde nodded, beaming at the determination in the stormy grey eyes. The bell rang shrilly and they all snapped from their musings to go to their next class, promising to see each other after school before they went separate ways.

_In my opinion, it would be an exciting way to spend the last year of life as a High School student. It will be good for us, for all of us._

Rangiku knew it.

* * *

**Thoughts? Leave a review! **


	4. The Mystery of Nel

**Okay, so the first day kind of gets the plot rolling, you know? It sets in motion a lot of future conflicts, but also future pairings :) You all wanted some Rukia so she has her bit here, and in the next chapter too will be about the first day too! I reeeaaally like how the one ended, to be honest.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, all thanks to Kubo Tite. Plot is mine, and OC's will be mine. **

* * *

That day was a pleasant one.

A typical spring afternoon for Karakura Town; the sun shone above in the cloudless blue sky, reflecting its warm rays down on the people, brightening their day instantly, just knowing they could take their jackets off without being affected by anything more than a gentle breeze. The trees were growing back the leaves lost from winter, and flowers were in bloom everywhere. Hatchlings chirped in their nests, waiting for their mother to return with food for regurgitating to their heart's content. Anyone within their right mind would have been outside, enjoying this pristine cool weather after the bitter bite of winter; basking in the sunlight; colouring their cheeks again until the frost melted away to reveal smiles, now blooming as full as the flowers.

But not Rukia Kuchiki.

Curtains drawn, lights off, the tiny eighteen year old sat curled under the covers of her black satin duvet. She was barely visible except for the short, raven hair and violet eyes peeping up from behind the covers that both glowed from the light of the substantial television glued on to the adjacent wall. Her eyes were focused on that point of interest, watching the television intently, her grip on the comforter tightening as the scene played out.

_Don't go in there, you fool! _

Eyes widened to the size of saucers, watching the screen intently as the girl foolish walked into the room where the noise had come from.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" her whiny voice came from the screen in English.

Violet eyes widened. _Silly American girls, why would you go into the room where the sound was coming from without at least arming yourself first! _

She entered a room filled with clowns – they were everywhere, on the shelves, floor, furniture, and right in the middle of the room was a life-sized clown propped up to sit on a rocking chair. The small ghostly pale hand of Rukia shook now as she restrained herself from covering her eyes as a chill ran down her spine at the creepy smile spread across its evil face, polka dots and that shiny red nose that looked as though it had developed a tumour. Rukia hated clowns with a passion.

The girl turned to walk back out, and then glanced back, not seeing the clown. Fear kept the brunette's eyes cemented to the screen, the fear of what was going to happen next. She had anticipated, even thought she had prepared herself for the shock, but when the clown suddenly attacked the girl from out of nowhere, Rukia Kuchiki had the fright of her life. It was at that point that her brother's secretary Hanatarou decided to bang against the door, balancing two large takeaway coffee cups and a paper bag in one hand while manoeuvring the door open.

"I've got food, Kuchiki-san!"

A scream echoed through the room, causing the young man to jump in alarm, allowing the coffee to slip out of his hands, falling towards the cream carpet. A flash of black and white and the flimsy cups were caught mid-air, slender fingers grasping them firmly. Rukia stared at the figures in her doorway, heart pounding in her heaving chest. She gaped at the two for a moment, before the tall, lean figure set down the cups on the dresser below the television, and took three long strides over to the window, and in one swift tug, flung open the curtains. Light flooded the room, bathing the room in warmth and blinding the petite girl, who shielded her eyes from the burning sensation at the abrupt invasion of her darkness. The one, wide window was enough to fill her room with the sun's rays. Her brother stood at the window with his usual blank expression, though his eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and she knew he was exasperated. His tone confirmed it.

"Do you realise what time it is, Rukia?"

The petite girl scrunched her eyebrows, thinking about it. She hadn't slept and stayed up through the night watching horrors to keep herself from falling asleep. She was absolutely terrified of them – that's why it was so thrilling – it kept her eyes open, but she didn't feel particularly tired. It was probably still early.

"Maybe nine or ten in the morning, Nii-sama?"

"It is actually three o'clock in the afternoon."

Her wordless expression was enough for him. It was as though she had completely lost track of the time, was not even aware of anything else; hadn't been for hours, according to Hanatarou. She had simply holed herself up in that cave for the past two weeks, barely eaten or talked to anyone. It happened so suddenly – one day she was fine, laughing and out with that other bubbly girl, Orihime, and then she became quiet, not talking to anyone and retreating to her room constantly. It was abrupt, but it was expected of her. Byakuya knew his sister better than anybody.

_Well, almost everybody… _he thought bitterly and miserably, not letting it display on his perfectly composed mask.

"Rukia, you are to shower and get changed into something other than those vile sweatpants and oversized shirt you have worn for the past week, replenish yourself, and then go outside. I do not want you wallowing in your own filth for the second week in a row." His words were harsh and came with an air of frustration, but Rukia knew that was her brother's way of showing his care for her; with indifference. She knew he was right – she smelled disgusting and her skin was paler than usual; sickly, due to the fact that it hadn't seen sun light in four-five days at the very least. The last few weeks of the holidays, Rukia had shut herself off from the world, not really leaving her room unless Nii-sama forced her out to have dinner. The whole holidays she had been anti-social, and had barely seen or spoken to anyone all holidays, with the exception of Inoue when she wasn't busy with work. She had sent maybe one txt to Ichigo, asking him how holidays were going and if he thought he had done well on his exams. He hadn't replied, the bastard, but hey; at least she tried to socialise. Truth of the matter is that Rukia Kuchiki was not a social butterfly – she could be nice and polite and always smiled when she talked to Mizuiro and Keigo because they were Ichigo's friends and were pretty cool, most of the time. But apart from empty chatter with other shy-types, like Isane and Hinamori, she kept to herself a lot. The girl wasn't stupid; she knew a lot of the other students were only trying to use her. But not Orihime and Ichigo; they were true friends. If only she could say the same for herself.

Rukia didn't bother putting up a fight and simply rolled herself out of bed, graciously accepting the large, steaming latte and paper bag before thanking Hanatarou and Nii-sama for being so thoughtful, and shooing them out of her room. She deposited the hot drink on the elaborated-decorated white vanity clustered with various untouched products, slumping herself on the black leather stool, and sighed, while spinning herself around once, glancing around at her immaculate, Western-style room, before she stood and walked over to the door that led to her en suit. The sandy marble bathroom gleamed when she flicked on the lights, and opened the blinds slightly to let more light in, the low hum of the heater filling the room. An oval-shaped bathtub was against the back wall, curved gilded taps and made a slight hissing sound when the water erupted from their spouts, clear water flowing into the tub and filling it up rapidly. Rukia lazily tipped a generous amount of purple bubble bath mixture that smelt like lavender, and was about to step into the steaming bath, unclothed and all, until she heard her phone go off – someone had texted her?

_It better not be Ichigo – I swear I will kill him for interrupting my relaxing bubble bath! _She thought to herself grumpily, snatching a towel from the heated railing and wrapping it around her small body, twice. That annoyed her, too. She hated the fact that she was practically a stick; it vexed her to no end, and she was secretly envious of her closest female friend, because she was not only curvaceous but had a massive chest, too, compared to her own. The same went for Nel-san and Matsumoto-san, even if the latter hated Rukia, not that she cared less.

Thoughts pushed aside, Rukia picked up her phone, and flipped it open, revealing momentarily a chappy screen saver before the small display changed to a message. Her hardened glare relaxed; it was Inoue.

_**Hey Rukia-chan, I was hoping we could talk, I really need some advice. I have tonight off from work – if you aren't busy you should come and stay the night? We could eat marshmallows dipped in peanut butter and you could bring some of that yummy candy and delicious caramel popcorn from that shop you like! It would be great to catch up with you. It's okay if you have something else planned, though! **_

A soft smile tugged at her lips, and without a second thought she sent back a reply before hastily walking back to the bathroom, an added bounce in her little strides. Rukia resumed her bath, dropping the towel and submerging herself in the glinting bubbles.

* * *

Orihime felt her phone buzz in her pocket just as she began packing up her books. She dropped them back on the desk to check the screen of her phone at once, beaming at the much anticipated message.

_**I would love to Inoue! I'll pack my things and be over around five? I will stop and get heaps of snacks for tonight, can't wait to see you **_

The bell had rung for their last class of the day, and the auburn-haired girl had felt nothing but relief. Her first day was over – it hadn't been too bad; she shared a few subjects with her friends and much to her surprise, Kurosaki-kun was in almost every single one of her classes as she hadn't failed to notice. How could she? That bright orange hair certainly made him stick out like a sore thumb. It was nice to see him around again, she had to admit. As soon as she stepped through the doors of her English, Classical Studies, Physical Education, and Statistics class her eyes would land on that flaming head and bored expression. It was startling. Not that he was in her classes, but that she was actually _noticing _he was there, practically searching him out. She even did it in her Art class, but he wasn't in that class, much to her disappointment. When Orihime did spot him though, her eyes would meet his and she smiled at him. Well, she was always smiling, so maybe just smiling a bit wider. His scowl disappeared for a moment, replaced by the slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, not as apparent as hers, but still a gesture of his acknowledgement. At first she hadn't even meant to beam at him like she did, however she couldn't help herself. And when he returned his own little smile, she was completely astonished. Despite the fact she had been dumped with a 'personal project', as she liked to refer to it as, she hadn't felt as miserable about today as she normally would have. Nonetheless she was now regretting her haughty ego and willing participant to Rangiku-san's provocation. She felt like an idiot now.

_What came over me? Why would I agree to such a… outrageous challenge? I mean, I love red bean paste and I've read all these cliché love stories so much that I can basically predict the endings, watched romantic films till my eyeballs hurt at four in the morning from crying, but can I really do something like this? _Orihime thought, her smile dimming.

Not to mention the daunting fact that in two weeks she would be housing one of Rangiku's infamous 'get-togethers'. She was hoping that Kuchiki-san would be willing to offer some reason for her stupid, stupid decisions, and Orihime missed the small girl terribly – she had seen her maybe three or four times during the two months they were on holidays. Her brows furrowed and she let her head drop to hide the frown ruining her smile, exhaling loudly.

_It was my fault; I worked most of the holidays and spent a lot of time with my other friends. Seeing Kurosaki-kun proved that; I always used to see him and Rukia together… now it's like they're trying to avoid everyone. No, that's not true – Nel-chan talks to Kurosaki-kun sometimes, but I know for a fact that Rangiku-san doesn't like Rukia-chan. Too bad she'll have to, if she wants her little event, _the corners of her lips turned up again at that thought. She was not a smug person, but she would be lying if she said it hadn't felt good to stand up for her friend like that. At least she had that_. _Inoue loved Rangiku-san to pieces and they had had their fair share of tender moments, but Rukia-chan was her friend too; she was very nice girl in her opinion, towards Orihime at least, and those who Orihime had seen her communicate with, such as Ishida-kun, Asano and Kojima-san… all except Kurosaki-kun. It made her wince to remember the times she had seen her slap the much taller boy, or grab his ear. She silently wondered how he really felt about it; when she had talked to him about Kuchiki-san, it seemed he knew nothing of her personally – Rukia had never even introduced Kurosaki-kun to her brother. He had sort of… thanked her for spending time with the brunette, hadn't he?

What was even more bizarre was Tatsuki-chan's reaction; Orihime had not failed to notice it, not one bit. She had known her best friend long enough to know _that _look; jaw clenched, fists curled, knuckles pale white, and a murderous glint in her eyes. It was the look she had when she wanted to punch something, or more specifically, someone. The look Orihime had seen her best friend wear countless times before. It was a particular look given to those who had hurt her or her friends – it meant the receiver had done something unforgivable.

_Was it… was it me? Did I do something wrong by speaking to Kurosaki-kun? Was Tatsuki-chan's hateful expression directed towards me? Is… is what Tatsuki-chan said about Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun true? _She lingered on her thoughts for far too long, and it was showing on the usually cheerful face everybody knew. Tatsuki's words were etched in her brain.

"_Yeah, it has been a long time. But that's because he's always with Kuchiki now, so I wouldn't get your hopes up about a possible affair between these two, Rangiku." _

Her words were harsh, even for Tatsuki, who only spoke the truth and would deliver it to you in the best way she saw fit, even if it meant a punch in the face, but they weren't directed towards Orihime, she was sure of it.

_So her anger was for Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-chan? _

Tatsuki knew that Inoue spent time with the dark-haired girl and that they were good friends, but if she had to be honest, she wouldn't go as far as to say that they acted friendly towards each other. No, friendly wasn't the word. They were indifferent, absolutely ignorant to the other's presence. Now that Orihime thought about it, Tatsuki-chan might have mentioned a while ago how much time Kuchiki and Kurosaki were spending together. At that time they were still friends, but something happened, and it upset Tatsuki enough to have that blazing intent in her eyes; it killed her to be in the dark. She was still annoyed at herself for not being able to recall the last time she had seen him – the way he acted when he mentioned it made it obvious. Tatsuki's reaction only furthered her irritation at not knowing. There was something wrong with this whole situation; it was just bewildering. A sigh escaped her lips as she gathered her books and slung her bag over her shoulder, eyes never leaving the glowing screen and Rukia's reply. She had been worried that perhaps Rukia was busy today or tonight, and was relieved when she had agreed to stay, even taking the hint Orihime had thrown out there of buying her own food and candy so she wouldn't have to politely leave halfway through the night, pale, sweating and smelling like vomit. Ever since she had seen Kurosaki-kun this morning, she was curious as to know what was _really _going on between them. Curiosity could not even come close to what she was feeling, to be perfectly honest.

_Seeing Kurosaki-kun again made me realise how long it has been since I have seen that silky orange hair and endearing scowl and those adorable small smiles and – no, stop Orihime! Stop those thoughts right now! _

It was overwhelming at the very least. If she had to really describe it she would say it was more like someone had started a fire inside of her heart when she saw Kurosaki-kun again and felt all those familiar feelings she had felt when she was graced with his warm presence, it burned slowly at first, but the more Tatsuki spoke of Kurosaki-kun in such an unnaturally cold air she wasn't used to seeing from her, the more gasoline she was adding to that flame. She groaned – why did she have to feel so… passionately about anything to do with Ichigo Kurosaki?

She knew the answer to that question within a heartbeat. It was because in what seemed like another lifetime, though in reality was probably only a year and a half, maybe two years ago, she had been in love with Kurosaki-kun. She thought she had already gotten over this bothersome stage of fixation a very long time ago, when she decided he was simply out of her league, though she lied to Tatsuki-chan and said that she had moved on to older, more mature men like those in her novels. Then something happened. Something that had to do with Rukia, Tatsuki and obviously Kurosaki-kun.

Orihime's entire body was now consumed by that burning desire to know the truth. Were they a couple, like Tatsuki-chan suggested? Or was it as Rangiku-san said, it was more like a love-hate relationship? Orihime winced unwillingly at that train of thought, and she huffed in annoyance. What was this creeping feeling she was getting, like bugs were crawling under her skin. Whatever it was, she hated it. She shouldn't be feeling so… nasty at the aspect of Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san being an item, she should be happy for the two of them. Then again, she wasn't one to listen to rumours, even if it was Tatsuki spreading them.

_I will ask Rukia-chan about it tonight, and tell her about this silly situation I have gotten myself into. _Orihime was satisfied with her resolve and delight giddiness flooded her at the realisation that Kuchiki-san would help her once she heard her plight, and shed light on the situation. The petite girl was wise beyond her years, even Ishida-kun thought so. She was good at solving problems and gave the best advice. Not that Inoue's other friend's didn't give good advice too; they just had different specialities. It wasn't like she couldn't talk about this with her three closest friends; she had learnt a great deal from her friends and had bonded with each of them on a very personal level, especially Tatsuki-chan, who had known her the longest and was the one who helped Orihime shape who she was today. She loved them all as though they were her sisters, but she also appreciated Rukia-chan's maturity and good reasoning. Nel-chan would have been her second choice, but she was one of the test subjects, and you never let the test subject know what you are going to do to them. Nel-chan would be like one of those humans that are abducted by aliens to be tested on, except Orihime would be the alien and instead of probing her body with machines she would get males to probe her with their – oh god where the hell were her thoughts going?!

_You really need to stop reading those weird sci-fi romance novels! _She berated herself.

The auburn-haired girl walked with her head down as her fingers flew over the screen, speedily typing out a quick text back to her friend.

_**Yay, awesome! Me too, it feels like it has been forever. I will see you later! **_

As she press send she heard a familiar voice shout her name in a very high pitched tone, ignorant of the blatant annoyed stares others gave her. Of course she didn't, with locks an eccentric shade of teal, a very large birthmark across her nose and cheeks, like someone had somehow permanently painted her face with red wine as a baby, and a prominent scar running down the middle of her forehead, as though she had cracked her skull in a freak accident. She looked like a freak accident, some would say. However, they would never say it to her face. They had seen her fight before; although she was a strict pacifist, she did believe that training to protect yourself was important, and would protect herself, if necessary. That was what she had told the principal on her first day here, a few months after Rangiku had started, when he was questioning her after an ambulance had to come and collect two silly boys who had foolishly tried to corner her and grope the young girl in a very inappropriate manner. They had learnt their lesson and had also been quite a good example of what would happen if you touched Neliel Tu Odelschwanck. She had strength that could even rival Tatsuki's sometimes, the second strongest girl in Japan. They had arm wrestling competitions sometimes and it was quite even a lot of the time; none of them wanted to give the other the satisfaction by surrendering or 'tapping out' as they put it, so they just struggled against each other until sweat formed and Rangiku got bored, so she made them stop and go get icecream. Orihime always agreed instantly – it disturbed her to see how competitive they got.

Neliel strolled over coolly; unmindful to the crowd parting for her. Orihime smiled warmly and waved her hand.

"Hey, Nel-chan! I knew you would be walking to the gate as well. Let's walk together!" Orihime exclaimed brightly, slinging her arm around her friend in a manner that was too friendly even for Inoue. Neliel winced as she felt the death grip the girl had on her arm, leading her down the corridor and stairs. It wasn't painful, but she sure had a hell of a grip on her arm.

_Shit, I can't get away even if I try to. Damn it, I know I shouldn't have thrown her under the bus like that! She's going to take me somewhere secluded, murder me, and then hide my body in a swamp. It would be the perfect plan because no one would suspect such an innocent face like hers… _

Instead of going to the front exit, Orihime led her away to the side entrance, around the corner of the unused building where a lot of trees obscured you from others view. It was where a lot of people came to smoke cigarettes, and butts littered the ground. Hime let go of her arm and turned around, looking to see if anyone had followed them.

_Oh my god, she is going to kill me! Apologise you idiot! _

"I'm so sorry Hime-chan! You know I can't have so many people at my place now, not with my neighbours going off at me for even playing music."

"Huh?" a questioning look graced the orange-haired girl's face.

"Isn't that why you're going to kill me now?" Nel's tone was the same as Orihime's; confused. Suddenly the bright haired girl burst into laughter.

"Y-You… you think… I care about that?!" another loud giggle, this time muffled by her hand as she tried to control the fits she was experiencing at her friend's words. She stopped abruptly, eyebrows furrowed. Nel hated that face – it meant she was in deep thinking, and Orihime thinking deeply was dangerous.

"I really meant what I said. I didn't like it when Rangiku-san talked like that of Kuchiki-san. It wasn't nice, because she really doesn't know her like I do. I was going to be myself and let Rangiku-san have her way like I always do, but hearing her speak of Rukia in such an unpleasant way made me angry and I wanted her to do something for me before I would do anything for her. If she does not abide by my wishes then I am afraid I will not let her have this party at my house, and I will stick to that, no matter how much she begs me." Inoue's eyes burned with resolution and Neliel knew she was telling the truth. That was so like her – she never took anything she said back – if she said it, she promised it, then she would do her best to achieve that. Once she was in this state of mind there was no going back; the girl was stubborn like that. It was a quality she rarely showed, but Neliel liked it on her.

The green haired girl sighed in relief. "Thank gods. You honestly scared me Orihime, you know that? I know it isn't like you, but damn, you were glaring daggers at me in every class we had. I thought I had it coming."

"Don't be mistaken Nel-chan, I am still _extremely aggravated _with you, but I understand your situation and I see why would you volunteer me as a substitute. It is okay, I do not regret my decision."

Nel raised an eyebrow, glancing around them. It seemed like most of the students had left, and no teachers were on patrol. While she was here she might as well make the most of it.

"Then why did you drag me here?" she asked, reaching into her shirt and producing a red box-shaped package. Inoue glared at her.

"What are those?" her voice was venomous.

A smirk appeared on Nel's face. "They are my usual. Marlborough Red 20s. You know that, Orihime." The busty young women replied nonchalantly, casually reaching into her shirt again and generating another box, this one much smaller. She opened her packet and popped a cancer stick into her mouth, and with one swift motion swiped a matchstick against the side of the box, lighting her cigarette while puffing on it. The horrid smell reached Orihime's nose and her eyes bulged.

"Neliel!" she cried in apprehension.

Said girl simply put her lips to it and inhaled sharply, blowing out a cloud of smoke into the trees when she could no longer hold her breath. She extended her hand out to Orihime, smirking madly.

"Want some, princess?"

"No! You told us you would quit, Nel-chan!" Even the smell of the tobacco made the auburn-haired girl sick; she had no idea how anyone could put that in their mouths, let alone want that in their lungs.

"I did!" Neliel defended with a pout, sucking on the diminishing cigarette, "for a while anyway. I basically went the whole two months without a single cigarette! Kind of. I mean, I had like a few, but you just can't go cold turkey after being hooked on these bastards for a few years, you know."

Orihime let her jovial façade slip off in her friend's presence – there was no need to hide her irritation in front of Nel – and a frown took its place. Seeing this made Nel feel guilty and begin to rack her brain for her excuses she had prepared.

"Plus, I need it. This day has been stressful! Have you seen the homework my teachers have given our class? School just started and we are already beginning assignments."

"I guess so… but don't let Tatsuki-chan see you. You know how she is with cigarettes." Orihime relented dubiously. Nel was lucky that it was just the two of them, and while Inoue hated the idea of her friend smoking again, after making it her New Year's resolution to quit, she understood where her friend was coming from. That was another feature Nel appreciated of hers; she did not judge.

"I will Hime. Don't worry about me. I'll quit – I'm just taking my time." A genuine smile came from Nel, and Orihime received it with her own. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I-I just wanted to ask you about something. It's silly, but it's been on my mind since lunch."

"I'm all ears, what is it?"

"W-Was it just me or did Tatsuki-chan react uneasily at the mention of Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san?" Inoue fidgeted with her hands, finding the ground interesting and not meeting her eyes. When she saw her friend, she wanted to get Nel's opinion, and knew she would have a truthful answer.

Nel sighed heavily, butting out the lit end of her high with her index and thumb. She felt a slight buzz, a shift in the way the air felt and the ground beneath her. It was a warm vibrant glow that resonated in her bones and under her skin. It made her feel comfort and eased all the tension she had previously felt after seeing all of the stacks of bookwork to be completed by the end of this week.

"You noticed too, huh?"

Orihime's heart dropped at her words; she had hoped she was only imagining it; it was an insignificant hope, but hope nonetheless.

"I-I thought I was just being ridiculous, imagining silly things as I typically do, but Tatsuki-chan was really… heated about something that has to do with Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-chan..." Orihime trailed off with a shaky laugh, trying to not let the disappointment show on her face at her naivety. Why hadn't she picked up on something sooner? The thought made her depressed. What a poor excuse for a best friend she was.

"I knew you would have – you know Tatsuki the best out of us all. I knew you would say something to either me or Rangiku. It was definitely weird, so I asked Ichigo about it and he gave me this look, then said he had no idea what I was talking about, and him and Tatsuki just didn't talk anymore. He said he didn't know why, but I can tell he was lying."

Orihime curiosity spiked again. Neliel was probably the only one in their group who was actually friendly towards Kurosaki-kun; they were friends and would talk in class and at lunch sometimes. Of course Nel would say something to him about it. She just hoped Nel hadn't brought up any of their embarrassing antics this morning. Somehow, Orihime was not surprised at this news from her friend. Even when they were younger, Tatsuki-chan told her how Ichigo wasn't really one to open up about his feelings, and would blatantly lie to you if it meant not talking about something he didn't want to talk about.

_It seems that he hasn't changed at all; then how could they simply just stop being friends?_ _Did they really get into a fight… maybe over Rukia-chan? _Her eyes widened at the horror of that scenario, but did not share this possibility with her friend.

"Well, I asked Kuchiki-san to come over tonight to stay and I think I will ask her about it tonight, to see if she knows anything. I also want her to help me with this silly challenge I took on."

Nel grinned, wanting to tease her easily-agitated friend. "You just want to confirm that Ichigo is single, so you can make your move on him."

Her comment got the reaction she desired, as the girl's cheeks flared up as red as a tomato. "Nel-chan, please! You are just as bad as Rangiku-san!" Orihime whined, sticking her lip out in a pout. "Besides, he doesn't think of me like that."

The teal-haired girl flipped her hair. "Whatever, Orihime. You are a beautiful, smart, funny and kind. He is just like all the other boys who secretly moan your name at night in their wet dreams –" that earned an uncharacteristic thwack from the usually timid girl_, "well it's true!"_

Orihime opened her mouth to say that Nel forgot to mention the fact that she was a complete weirdo. But was interrupted by her friend, waving her hand dismissively and continuing her rampant, "you said you don't fancy him, but I know for a fact you were like, in love with him before Rukia was in the picture."

Before the orange-haired girl could retaliate, Nel quickly carried on, "eh, it's your business anyway, Hime. As long as you set me up with a sexy bad boy and not some complete idiot like Keigo or weakling like Yukio, I don't care. I just hope you know what you're in for. Taking this on means that you have to match everyone in our year, including the bitch twins Loly and Menoly, who hate you, Nozomi, who doesn't talk to anyone at all, and Mizuiro, who only goes for older girls – not that that man whore needs a hand anyway." A grimace graced Orihime's features, then Nel casually added, "And I won't even mention the fact that heaps of new students started today, so I've heard, and all of them are in our year."

An audible groan was heard from the abnormally grumpy Inoue. They emerged from the shadows of the trees, walking towards the gates now that most of their private conversation was out of the way. The girl's chatted away carelessly because they knew that everyone should have headed home by now, since nobody really stuck around after 3pm. Or so they thought.

Neliel laughed at her indisposition, "I feel sorry for you, Hime-chan. I am glad my day hasn't been as eventful as yours!"

At the exact moment they rounded the corner of the building, the teal-haired women suddenly collided with what felt to her like a metal pole, and stumbled backwards, slightly knocked off her feet.

_Did it just suddenly get darker?_ She wondered ominously.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here."

Nel froze at the sound of that voice. She knew that voice. It boiled her blood just hearing it, that smug, patronizing tone, like he was talking down on her. No, that was wrong – he was literally talking down to her, up in the clouds where his unbelievably long and insect-like body stretched. She hated that self-righteous tone. She didn't want to set eyes on its owner, so Nel simply reached out and took a hold of Orihime's arm, taking a step back and pulling the confused girl with her, keeping her eyes on the ground at her feet, completely focusing on the task of putting as much distance between them as she possibly could. That was her primary instinct, though she thought it seemed cowardice of her, and he would take it as a sign that she was intimidated by him. That was not the case at all – Neliel did not want to breathe the same air as this lowlife. She did not want to see him, or know why he was here, at her school nonetheless. However, just as she took another step back, she bumped into another figure; one she could tell was human because of the warmth radiating from said being. This time she was prepared – she immediately let go of Orihime's wrist and dropped low, spinning herself around and swept one leg out, feeling the impact as her leg connected with a pair of strong but surprised ones, and hearing a loud thump following. She would not allow anyone to sneak up on her again – especially not in Nnoitra's presence.

_Nel-chan learnt her lesson the first time, _she thought to herself, fingers involuntarily reaching up to touch the scar that cut down the middle of her forehead. Doing this only strengthened her resolve, and forced away the guilt she felt at hurting another person. She hated violence, however, had learnt a very long time ago the necessity of it, in dire situations; this was one of those situations. She could not afford to let her guard down – for her own sake, and for the sake of Orihime, who was a 'naturally talented' in martial arts, as Tatsuki put it, but would not stand a chance against any of Nnoitra's scumbag lackeys.

Neliel adjusted her stance and turned to face the cussing attacker-now-victim. A messy head of electric blue hair, connected to a seemingly well-built, tall body that was pulling himself into a sitting position. He was wearing the school's uniform, but Nel could not recall ever seeing him before, as far as she could tell. The shocking pastel locks falling everywhere were certainly a surprising sight to see, and that was coming from a girl with hair that looked like it belonged on an anime character.

"What the fuck, you crazy bi-" the rough, low voice suddenly halted in its crude rampage as the head lifted to give a vehement glare at the vicious green-haired women who had the audacity to press her tempting body against his, and then make him fall on his ass like an idiot, right in front of these jackasses' who would probably never let him live this down. His fiery blue eyes met wide hazel orbs and both parties were stunned to silence, before the blue-haired man simply turned his head away from her gaze

"Tch, Nnoitra tell ya friend here ta keep here her cool… it's not polite to throw people on their asses for nothin'." He made a pointed gaze at her, giving the teal-haired women a hard stare.

Nel could not help but take in his face – his features were sharp, every corner and line like the edges of a blade, from his defined jaw, to the teal tattoos under his eyes, making those burning blue eyes seem to pop out even more. Everything about this person screamed at her to stay away; she did not need to attract any more attention to herself. She could barely even tear her body away from his intense gaze.

However, she gauged his words, and in a heartbeat said in the iciest tone she could conjure up to display the disgust she felt at his inclination that she and Nnoitra were friends, "We are not friends. We are not acquaintances. I do not know this person."

The widest grin appeared on the long face, smile stretching impossibly wide as he gauged their reactions. This was great – this was exactly what he wanted from Neliel. He wanted her to hate him, to deny his existence. And like the good girl she was, she did. Of course she did – Nnoitra was proof of her past.

_I wonder if she got rid of that fuckin' number. She better have. Doesn't matter anyway – it doesn't mean shit anymore. _

Though he liked to believe this, it wasn't the truth. Neliel Tu Odelschwanck was still strong, the instinctive way she just knocked Grimmjow onto his ass was proof of that. Hell, if anything this was going to be harder than he originally thought. Shit, shit, shit. Nnoitra hated that fuckin' woman. But most of all he hated thinking he was a shitty weakling. He was not weak – he could fucking kill her anytime he wanted to. He knew he could; that scar running down her face was evidence of his skill. And that was him, then. Back when he was weak. But now Nnoitra was strong and would ruin her life. This perfect little bullshit life she had created out of nothing and built on lies.

_This little bitch in her fancy uniform, thinkin' she can just try to forget her old life? Hah, don't make me fuckin' laugh, Nel. Don't think you'll be forgettin' me any time soon, _the widest grin stretched against Nnoitra's skin, his teeth like piano keys.

"Neliel, isn't that just hilarious, running into yer ass here. See ya met my pal, Grimmjow."

The voice was mocking her, coated heavily with fake politeness as though he were speaking with an old friend. She narrowed her eyes at the figure before her and shrugged off her curiosity. If he was Nnoitra's friend, he certainly was not a friend of hers. Not that she wanted to be his friend, or anything.

"Don't act like ya don't remember ya old partner."

He saw the corner of her mouth twitch at his words.

Sighing at the aspect of having to acknowledge his presence, she turned to match his mocking gaze with a blank stare, and injecting as much disinterest in her tone as possible, she finally addressed him. He would not stop until she did, and she did not want to discuss a probably very curious Orihime.

"What do you want, Nnoitra?"

To say she was startled when she took in his attire was an understatement. She was absolutely thrown into disarray, and fury pumped through her veins at the sight of that creepy broad grin. Just hearing him call her _partner _again made her want to strangle him, but seeing his face... it took much control on her part to stop herself from smacking him upside the head.

"See? I knew ya remembered me. So it is ya, Nel-chan. Yer all grown up now, ain't cha'? I was a bit worried yer would forget about me, but that would never happen, eh Nel?" That smirk got impossibly bigger, and it was blowing up in her face. She hated violence (unless it was to protect oneself), but it was different when it came to Nnoitra – he set her bones on fire with the desire to torture him, to make him feel the pain he made others feel – her common sense went out the window and she was simply consumed by a want, no a need, to hurt this person who had hurt her out of nothing more that utter spite. She astonishingly recognized it as the feeling they called revenge.

"I said; what do you want with me, Nnoitra?"

"Who said I wanted anythin' to do with ya, Neliel?" he attempted to copy her tone, yet it was still coated with that ever-present challenging tone he had when speaking with her. He licked his lips, basking in the satisfaction he felt. "I'm just checkin' out my new school, with my new friends."

Nel's worst fears were confirmed. She had thought that maybe it was a fluke – he had stolen someone's uniform just to get in and harass her. There was no way he could be attending Karakura High. No way in hell would he ever be within one hundred metres of her, ever again. But she was wrong, and of course fate played her like the fool she was. She had made so many good friends, even gotten a job at the local pizza place and was saving towards a car, the hard and honest way. Nel couldn't recall the last time she was late on her rent, or didn't have food in her cupboard. The eighteen year old hardly touched alcohol with the exception of important occasions, and her only bad habit that remained from her past was the cigarettes now – even those she was slowly weaning herself off them. Neliel had just begun to put the broken pieces that were her life back together again, and now she was facing a problem that could shatter that peaceful life she had seen for herself in that reflection, once again. If Nnoitra was here, then that could only mean one thing…

"Do not be foolish, Nnoitra. We are not your friends." A deep voice came from behind the looming figure, and for the first time since the two random people had appeared and Nel-chan started acting weird, Orihime noticed the other figures standing behind the skyscraper of a man that Neliel referred to as Nnoitra. Another tall man – _why are they all so tall? _She thought desperately – with shoulder-length pink hair that fell in bangs around his square glasses on one side. He wore the same wide grin as the one Nel called Nnoitra, but it was more reserved, as though he knew what size bra she wore, by just looking, rather than wanting to grab like how the other creep was looking at her. A woman stood next to him, leaning against the wall as if she could not care any less about the situation – she had her eyes closed, was she actually sleeping? The woman had the brightest blonde hair Orihime had ever seen in her life – the same colour as those buttercup flowers you find in the fields and rub on your wrists to see the vibrant yellow. She could tell it was natural too, because her eyelashes too were the same colour, and for a split second those eyelashes fluttered open and impassive emerald eyes met her inquisitive ones. Orihime averted her eyes at being caught staring for the second time today, but she couldn't help it. The woman seemed to scream a confidence that would be able to rival even Rangiku's – like with her strawberry blonde friend, she was drawn in to it. To distract herself, she sought out the source of the voice, which sounded as though it had come from further back. She was right, and was met with an average height, though still probably taller than her, boy who looked as though he were their age. His skin was deathly pale and clashed, but also complimented, the coal black locks that fell around his face in a haphazard yet neat way. Her gaze lingered on him – he was standing away from everyone else, hands in the pockets of his grey pants; he was completely aloof, it was evident in his tone as well. Nonetheless, his face was something else. He did not wear any type of expression. It wasn't curious or irritated, or even bored. His expression was expressionless, that was the only way she could put it into words. Running down his cheeks were tattoos that made him appear he was crying silent jade rivers. But all of this was insignificant compared to his eyes. They were the greenest eyes she had ever seen – the same colour as his tattoos, but they were more vibrant and were the only things that seemed… alive. The brightness of his eyes strangely balanced his whole look. She involuntarily shivered when his eyes went from staring at Nnoitra, and then flickered to catch her own stare before she could avert her gaze. It wasn't with Kurosaki-kun, how she had been caught staring at him and he was okay with her excuses. She had blatantly been caught gaping at him, and he caught her in the act. And what was stranger was that he did not look away. He stared straight into her eyes, as though he were trying to pick at her brain.

_W-What if he is a mind reader and he can hear everything I am thinking about him and everything else? Does that mean he knows how I feel about Kuro- no I can't think about that! Stop! Think of something else! Like how pretty his eyes are… no, not that either! _

Something in her gut told her to say something to break the awkward atmosphere, and though she wasn't one to put herself on the spotlight, the tension between Nel-chan and the impossibly tall Nnoitra person was making her feel uncomfortable and she wished to leave soon. She broke into a genuine smile and put as much kindness in her voice as she could muster.

"S-So you are all new here to Karakura High?" she began cautiously with an apparent statement – they were all wearing the same uniforms as her and Nel-chan; well, the girls were anyway, the boys wore long grey pants and the white short-sleeved shirt. Wouldn't that be funny, if boys wore the skirts and girls wore pants? It was awfully cold wearing these stupid skirts during winter, but the school would not change its rules – this was their code, and all students were expected to comply by it.

All of them turned to stare at her, as if to say _"is it not obvious enough?" _

Oh, kami this was a bad idea. A sweat formed on the back of Orihime's neck and she wanted to just run away, but they were basically blocking all possible exits. She felt like a trapped mouse. She would never put mouse traps around her house again. Her beam never faltered – she should be used to people staring at her by now, but she never was, though she could at least hide her discomfort perfectly by now.

"W-Well my name is Orihime Inoue," she cursed herself mentally for the stutter, "I would like to welcome you all to our school, we are all pleased to have new students in our midst, isn't that right, Nel-chan?" The orange haired girl turned to look at her friend with the same smile but pleading eyes, as though begging her to play along. Nel crossed her arms over her chest. She was right though – it was safer to play nice with the new students.

_Pfft, that arrogant Nnoitra. He is up to something – it's no coincidence that Ulquiorra is here, either. They both have dirt on me, though no proof. But if they say something to my friends before I do they will hate me forever for hiding this from them. Damn it all to hell. I don't want to involve them in this! Ugh, why now? Why after so many years? _

Nel shrugged, "yeah, if you say so, Hime. My name is Neliel. We won't bother to learn your names because to be honest, welcome to our school and all, but you might want to leave as soon as you can – the teachers are useless, desks and chairs collapse on a daily basis, and the food isn't that great. Now if you don't mind, Inoue and I will be continuing our journey to our respective homes."

Feeling Nel tug on the sleeve of her jersey, Orihime turned back to them over her shoulder and waved, smiling.

"It was nice to meet you all!"

The group stood for a while, unmoving. The blonde woman finally spoke.

"So, that is the target?"

"Yes, Harribel," a deep voice came from behind all of them. The pale young man was watching the two figures wander to the front entrance, where the green haired woman departed and the auburn-haired woman skipped to the gates.

"Interesting." Was all she said.

The pink-haired man adjusted his glasses as he stared after the retreating burnt orange haired girl, "I see why Aizen chose this mission for you, Ulquiorra," he nodded approvingly, "you are perfect for this mission".

The blonde woman broke away and walked in the direction of the back gates, others slowly trailing behind her, leaving only Ulquiorra, still staring at the skipping woman as she disappeared from his view.

"Orihime… Inoue…" the words seemed strange on his lips, like they were too pure for him to even utter. It would be sinful of him to do so.

"Woman."

* * *

**I said I liked the ending! This is Orihime-centric, and will be IchiHime, buuuuuut Ulquiorra has a part in my plot, as will other Espada! Which leads me to... pairings! Because this will be a romance fic, there will be lots of fluffiness, and while I have an idea of who I want to pair, I am desperate for more ideas! Any favourite Bleach pairings? Review them and they might make a feature :) **

**-ForTheLoveOfLiterature01**


	5. Run, Rukia

**Hello all my dear readers. Sorry if you have been expecting an update sooner - writer's block has been killing me! Not to mention personal issues, working two jobs and upcoming exams. But alas, NEXT WEEK ARE MY SCHOOL HOLIDAYS, and I am absolutely excited because after this chapter the real plot begins! I am expecting to have another chapter out before the holidays, but don't ****get your hopes up. **

**So poodlecake85 made a very prominent point about my introduction of the Espada that we all know and love. Originally, I hadn't even intended to add Starkk, Lilinette and Hallibel into the school scene, but thought what the hell, and did anyway. However, I have revised that, and taken out Starkk and Lilinette, but left Hallibel because I have plans for her. I have plans for all of them, hehehe. They do have a purpose for being there, not just to quell my fangirl needs. Okay, maybe to quell, just a little bit thought. **

**Okay, so if you haven't already figured it out, this story will revolve around a lot of past conflicts, and how our favourite characters deal with these conflicts. Some of you may notice the timeline is off in this chapter compared to chapter 2, but that is on purpose. This is for ya'll who wanted more Rukia, and a certain someone ;) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, IchiHime would be canon, and Renji would finally confess to Rukia. **

* * *

_Ding! _

The sound of an automatic bell went off as Rukia stepped through the open door of the two-storey shop. The building appeared to be slightly rundown, and did not fit in amongst the tall, modern office buildings, newly opened apartments and construction sites that stood around it, almost intimidatingly. The flashing sign was broken and flickered every now and then, reading "Urahara's Candy Shop" when it lit up in pink neon letters. It was to attract customers, but had the opposite effect, and many parents thought it was a secretly a brothel due to the nature of its owners, so did not let their children go near it, though they begged and begged to be taken into the wonderful land of sweets.

Rukia snatched one of the plastic baskets from the door and began her mission, Chappy wallet in hand. She was ecstatic for the night ahead; spending time with Orihime-chan was just what she needed, and she was eternally grateful for the offer from her friend. They hadn't seen each other in a few weeks, and it made her brother's request much easier to comply with. He was shocked when he saw her not half an hour after telling her to 'stop wallowing in her own filth' dressed nicely in dark jeans, black boots and an off-the-shoulder grey shirt, humming a tune as she flew downstairs, brushing her wet hair and looking for her wallet. He was mildly curious, but did not question her sudden change of attitude. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, packed with the bare necessities, before asking for permission to stay at Orihime's for the night. Before he could even word a reply, she was out the door, yelling a thank you behind her.

"Arigato, Kuchiki-san," a timid voice came from the front of the store, as a sullen looking teenager with long black hair and short bangs that fell into her sapphire eyes emerged from the screen door. She greeted the petite brunette with a warm smile that never reached her eyes, who returned it promptly before hastily making her way to the aisles, losing sight of the girl.

"Arigato Ururu, how was the first day of middle school? Did you make any new friends?" Rukia asked in a loud voice, rifling through the stack for what she was looking for. When her hands grasped the bag of rainbow caramel popcorn, she nodded and threw it in the basket nestled in the crook of her arm. She side-stepped a small boy who was taking his time in choosing a chocolate bar, to get to the next row.

The girl's shy voice came a bit louder and more enthusiastic, like she had been waiting all day for someone to ask her that specific question, "it was great, Kuchiki-san! At first, I did not like it – lots of the other children made fun of me. They called me emo and said I had to cheer up, though I told them over and over again that I wasn't unhappy. Our sensei even taught us algebra today! It was easy for me and I scored ninety eight percent on the quiz. I stopped a girl from being bullied today by some of the older boys, and we spent lunch together because Jinta said he preferred following around Yuzu-chan, rather than being seen with the _'mopey loser'._"

Rukia felt a pang in her heart. The dark-haired young teenager reminded her much of herself. She was painfully shy, to the point where it would inhibit her from making friends, but had a simple, yet strong sense of justice – like a duty to do what was right. Rukia knew what she was going through; she had found it difficult to make friends at an earlier age as well, but she was overwhelmed with joy to know that the wary teen had made a friend.

"I am glad, Ururu. And don't worry about Jinta – boys are idiots, even more so when they get to his age – they think with their genitals, rather than their brain," Rukia said nonchalantly, scanning the aisles for more sweets.

A laugh tinkled through the store, and Ururu had to cover her mouth to stop the giggles. Ururu liked Rukia-chan, admired her, in fact. She wanted to be like her; strong, aloof and brave. That's what Ururu told the petite brunette, who disagreed and repeated over that she was none of those things.

Rukia smiled, pleased to know that the girl was happy. A brightly decorated packet was caught in the corner of her peripheral vision. She eyed her basket, almost full, before reaching up to get the object of her interest from the shelves above her. It was just out of her grasp, if she could just…

_Curse this small body and these tiny arms! Why do I have to be so short?! _She glared at the packet of sour bears, before jumping up and down in an attempt to grab it.

Ururu's voice rang out again abruptly, "Kuchiki-san! I just remembered; Urahara-sama said that he wanted to see you! Something about someone…"

But Rukia was not listening – all of her concentration was focused her vertical hopping, with every jump her arm stretched out, finger tips grazing the packet but not being able to get a grip on the flimsy bag.

"I see you haven't gotten any taller, Rukia." A smooth voice came from beside her, and Rukia's body tensed as all of the muscles in her body locked together, paralyzing her where she stood.

_That voice… I would know that voice anywhere… _

It was a voice she had not heard in two years, but still sounded the same as ever – rough, brutish and full of cocky confidence. Stunned to silence, she simply watched as a hand swiped the packet off of the shelf with ease, much to her annoyance. The callous hand held it out to her, waiting for her to receive it. Emotions were raging within her; joy, curiosity, annoyance, but one overruled all: anger. So she acted out on that emotion.

Rukia Kuchiki swung her small fist as hard as she could, putting as much of her strength into it as she could muster, and felt it collide with a solid object with a deafening _crack! _The broad figure took a few steps back in surprise, clutching his face with one hand, and Rukia took this moment to take in his appearance. He was still as tall as ever, but his shoulders had squared, making him look more like a full grown man. Bright crimson hair stuck out like a pineapple in a high ponytail, covered with not his typical white bandana, but a maroon one. His body was covered in _more _tribal tattoos – they covered his forehead, just above his strange eyebrows, and extended over most of his arms and chest that was exposed through the few buttons undone at the top of his camouflage shirt. He had developed over the few years he was gone, but still looked just as she remembered him – like a brutish ape. A muscular brutish ape. An extremely badass, muscular brutish ape.

Rukia melted momentarily before she shook it off – she was mad, and would not give in to any other feelings at this point in time. Not the urge she had to wrap her arms around his waist to make sure he was actually standing in front of her, nor the desire to congratulate him for earning the status of lieutenant, as she could see from his badges on his front pocket. She would not show any weakness, especially when it came to this particular person. Especially after their last encounter. But even as she told herself this, her vision clouded, just thinking about the last time they saw each other. She couldn't forget. She wouldn't forget.

"What the fuck, Rukia?!" Brown eyes lit up with fury, and the man pinched the bridge of his bleeding nose.

"You deserved that, bastard! Three years, Renji!" the petite girl had to restrain herself from decking him again, "three long years and what do I get? No phone calls, no letters, not even a damn facebook status update to say _hey all, war is great and I'm still alive. _You could have been dead for all I knew!"

Renji's anger dissipated when he heard that last bit. Then he saw the glistening of tears in her eyes, and all of his annoyance vanished completely. He was almost stunned; he had only seen her cry once before. He knew it sounded pathetic, but he was rejoicing in seeing tears in her eyes. Tears that were meant for him, just for him. He would have never expected that, not from Rukia. Yet here she was, with tears threatening to spill out of those beautiful midnight eyes of hers that still made his heart thump in his chest in the most infuriating fashion. Fuck. It seemed that his feelings for her had not changed in the least; if anything, they had probably grown stronger. They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that was all too true for him in that instance. Hell, he had tried to forget about her, forget about _that _night, and put all of his effort into getting stronger, into proving that hard work did mean something nowadays. He had certainly done that, and was promoted to lieutenant. He had almost succeeded, too; occupying his mind with meaningless flings and empty promises to women he knew he would never see again in his lifetime. Shit, he could never forget this girl. How could he? She was the reason he wanted to be better – she was the reason he worked his ass off to get where he was. He left all those years ago to prove to everyone that he was good enough for her. He just wanted to be admired by her, to be acknowledged by this one girl who captured his heart since the day they met on the streets of Karakura as children. Sure, at first he was intimidated by her maybe even jealous; she was street smart (well, just smart in general), daring and could handle her own just fine. She saved him from being caught and sent back to some terrible orphanage, or worst, his abusive foster family. Rukia was his childhood friend; they lived together for years until they were snatched up by police and sent to a military school in Tokyo after being deemed delinquents who could not function properly in society. It was obstacle courses at the crack of dawn, scrubbing floors while being yelled at to work faster, and nasty kids who made shanks out of toothbrushes, but hey – a warm bed, clothes on their backs and three meals a day that weren't fished out of a dumpster – neither of them could complain. To Renji, they had each other, and that was all that mattered to him. For the first time in years, he was happy. Really happy.

As soon as he turned sixteen, he applied for the army. He told Rukia to join as well, but Rukia wanted to stay and finish her studies. He was hesitant and constantly worried about her; who knew what would happen to her once he left? No family, all of their friends were dead or in jail. He knew it sounded silly, she had survived before he met her; however he liked to believe that he was all she had. He liked to think that she… _needed _him. He wondered if she ever thought of it like that, too. A miracle happened. On the day of his acceptance, he went looking for Rukia to tell her the great news, and stumbled on her talking with some sickly pale man in a professional-looking, dark suit. The medals pinned to the front of his suit and on the sleeve of his arm stated that he was a captain class officer. After being glared at, he left and waited for Rukia. When she came out she was bombarded with questions. She had been adopted by the head of some rich family. His suspicions were confirmed – her adoptive brother was the infamous captain Kuchiki. She was now Rukia Kuchiki – it was like a dream for her, and she always spoke of how generous and amazing her new adoptive brother was. She had never felt so far out of his reach as she did at that moment; her love was even more unobtainable than ever. He contemplated of giving up, but it was useless. So he considered it a challenge, and he loved challenges. He made the decision up then and there to push himself to his limits, to become as great as her Nii-sama who she looked up to so much. But he never told her he was going… not until his last night in Tokyo.

He was sure she was thinking of that night too.

"I'm sorry, Rukia. I just… I couldn't… not after that night." His voice was surprisingly soft to her ears, and did not hold any of its usual cockiness that Rukia was accustomed to. His eyes met hers and instead of looking away like she desperately wanted to, she steeled herself under his serious gaze. This was what she had been waiting for all these past years… so why was it so hard to face him? What was making this encounter so difficult for her? Was it the shame? The anger? The… pain she felt remembering that night?

"I thought you didn't want to see me anymore, or hear from me ever again." Renji admitted, his voice cracking at the end. He was never good with this kind of sappy shit, and he knew for a fact that Rukia wasn't either.

"You idiot," she laughed unsteadily, quickly swiping at the tears in her eyes. Truth be told, she wasn't ready for this – she had convinced herself that when he came back she wouldn't act any differently, that she would forget all about that stupid incident, yet she was wrong. Three years and she still couldn't help but feel like the biggest, most foolish girl on the planet.

"That night was…"

_A mistake? _She thought bitterly to herself.

She didn't want to hear what he thought of that night. Rukia didn't want to hear him confirm her own reflections. So she did exactly what she did that night, too.

She ran.

She ran as far away from him as she could, as far away from the guilt and humiliation and _stupidity _she felt.

Yet no matter how much she ran, she could not escape the aching sensation in her chest.

Yes, it was definitely the pain that made it unbearable for her to face him.

* * *

**There you have it! I was planning on continuing, as this chapter is muuuch shorter than my usual 4,000+ words, but I thought it would be perfect to end right there. Reviews are appreciated! Next chapter: A SLEEPOVER! **

**-ForTheLoveofLiterature01**


	6. The Pain of the Flames

**Hello all! **

**Sorry for the long update - I said only another week, but that was like four weeks ago. I have been busy. Not really, just having problems forming a complex, but believable plot. I think I have it now! Fingers crossed :) **

**Thanks for the feedback from the last chapter! Hopefully I can write more RukiaxRenji chapters soon! I really love this pairing and honestly don't think there are enough fics that support them. **

**So in this chapter I will introduce another character that I think doesn't get enough credit - KON! In this fic, he will be human and will have quite a sad background story :( But he will be in a pairing! Just because I think Kon deserves love too. Here's a link to how I think he should look in human form - ** wiki/Kon_(Zanpakuto-Leader)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, or any of the material (including the link) I have used. Thank you to Tite Kubo and BleachFandomWikia, and the creators of the images! **

* * *

Ichigo was pissed.

And confused.

Why was he pissed and confused, you ask? Because not only had he just gotten punched in the face and yelled at, but he was being endlessly harassed his annoying, exhausting, perverted –

"Come on Ichiiiiigooooo!" A blur of brown and yellow flew at him, and instinctively he put his foot up to stop the onslaught of exasperation literally being thrown at him. His foot connected with a face.

Cousin.

A tall boy, around the same age and build, thought slightly chubbier, rubbed his face and sat up, shaking his head full of messy brown hair. The golden ends framing his tan face fell in to place, giving him the impression of a lion. Bright blue eyes glared up at the orange-haired teen, who ignored the look he was receiving and flung his bag over his shoulder again.

"I told you to stop friggin' asking Kon," was all he said, continuing to walk in the direction of his home. Without looking back, he called to his idiot of a cousin, who was still sulking on the pavement, "Are you coming, or what? Yuzu should have dinner ready soon."

He heard a rustle and heavy footsteps running to catch up. Kon jogged next to him, slipping his arm into the straps of his bag pack.

"Why won't you tell me who hit you hard enough to give you that bruise on your cheek? I just want to congratulate them! It takes ball to hit you, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched hearing that, but he said nothing. He wasn't in the mood for questions. His mind was too occupied with processing what had just occurred that he purely did not have the brain power to think of anything else.

Kon noticed a change in his older cousin's expression – it darkened and his eyes seemed a million miles away. He had seen that dangerous look many times before; Ichigo was thinking. He swallowed hard and didn't say anything when his cousin wouldn't reply. He would leave him be, for the moment. Whatever was on his mind was bothering him, and Kon knew better than to expect Ichigo to just _talk about it. _That wasn't who Ichigo was – he never spoke to anyone about his feelings, or even _showed_ his feelings. Well, not anymore, anyway. Kon and Ichigo had never been particularly close as children, but he wasn't always like this, as far as he remembered. Before the death of his mother, who was a wonderful person and treated Kon with the utmost kindness, he used to cry a lot, from what his shitty memory recalled.

Kon was actually adopted at the age of seven by Ichigo's uncle and aunt, Urahara Kisuke and Yuroichi Shihouin. Before that, he couldn't remember much, but according to the files kept by his adoptive parents he was property of the state, and had been used as an illegal human test subject in an underground lab that dealt in deciphering the mysteries of the human body. It was a lot of blood tests, strange needles and experimental drugs that did awful things to his body, which explained why he could barely recall even his own name or his birth date. It was mostly snippets, really. What he could remember wasn't pleasant, but he knew he was used to it. Of course he was used to it – it was his life and there was no escape. At least that's what he told himself very single day. But one day, the doors were busted down and a lot of people in heavily armoured uniforms stormed in, and seized the lab in five minutes flat. A man and a woman led the squad, and found him huddled against the stone wall of his 'bedroom' – a cell with a bug-ridden bed and a disgusting toilet. They were too late though; he was the only one left alive. He was surprised when they told him this – he just believed that the kids were being taken away to live with a family, like the scientists said. That's what they all got told: _"just one last test, and then you get to go home to your new family. They're expecting you, so be a good child and do this one thing for us, okay?" _

It was all lies. They would be cripplingly sedated, and then some would have their internal organs removed, all while they were still alive. Whatever were good enough to be sold would go on the black market to the highest bidder. Others were sold to buyers all over the world - slavery, child pornography, sex rings, even some cannibals who paid a pretty dime for fresh meat. It literally made him sick when he found out this, years later, after he found the file in his parents study. Somehow, he managed to put all of his old life behind him when he was adopted by Yuroichi and Urahara. It wasn't hard, but he had always had this nagging sensation, always this burning curiosity about wanting to know why he didn't have many memories, but when he did find out, he regretted knowing. His adoptive parents, his family, were there for him, and that made everything a lot better. They were excellent cops – the best in the force. Both had saved a lot of children from these sorts of labs all over Japan, and had adopted many before and after him; a girl named Ururu, a fiery red-headed boy called Jinta, Rinrin, Nova and their older brother Cloud. Cloud, the day he turned eighteen, took custody for the other two, and now they all lived together in a place not far away from the candy shop his parents had bought after retiring. Ururu and Jinta still lived with Urahara and Yuroichi, but Kon had recently gotten in to some trouble at his other school on the north side of school, and they decided it would be best if he attended school with Ichigo. Isshin, being the family man he was, offered to let Kon live with them, sleeping in Ichigo's room of course. It wasn't anything permanent – he was eighteen in a few months anyway, and could move out once he found himself a job and finished high school. Somewhere far away; he was thinking America, where he could become a famous super star and all the ladies would love him. Maybe then Ichigo would actually want to hang out with him.

Today was their first day of school, and Isshin had made Ichigo promise to look after his younger cousin and show him around, despite Kon's protests that he didn't need to be treated like a child. And he was right. He quickly became acquainted with some of the others kids in his class, and even found out that his brother was in his class as well. It really was a surprise seeing Nova – Ichigo told him he went to his school, but he didn't expect to be in the same class as him. Then there were the super sexy girl's in his class as well – a busty green-haired girl and an even bustier strawberry blonde.

_I could get used to Karakura High, _Kon thought to himself with a sly smirk. He glanced over to his cousin, who was still deep in thought, and his brown eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

_I wonder what he's thinking about… _

_The bell rang signalling the end of the day. Everyone rushed out, glad to have made it through the first day alive, but Ichigo couldn't help but move sluggishly after everyone else. All day his mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of a certain auburn-haired girl so much that he did not notice a pair of brown eyes boring in to the back of his skull. They were in almost every single class together, which was nice. She was like a breath of fresh air, like the sun breaking through dark clouds on a stormy day. She brightened his day, to say the least. And it wasn't like he didn't notice that others students noticed it too, particularly the males. He heard what they said about her though, and he had to stop himself from snapping necks. Inoue smiled at him when she saw him, just like she used to when they were younger, and he actually returned it. It wasn't untrue what she said that morning – they really hadn't made any contact whatsoever in months. She seemed to not remember why, and that was okay for Ichigo. That's how he'd rather keep it. _

_Suddenly he felt himself being pulled by the back of his shirt and shoved in to a deserted classroom. Whoever it was not only had the element of surprise, but was surprisingly strong. He didn't have to see their face to know exactly who it was. He had been expecting her all day. The athletic-bodied girl basically threw him against the wall, and grabbed his collar, shaking him slightly. _

"_Jeez Tatsuki, that's no way to greet an old friend," Ichigo was trying to conceal the anger in his voice at being man-handled with humour, but it only seemed to anger her more. Fire blazed in her eyes, and for a fleeting second he felt the fear everyone talked about when faced with the "Princess's Dragon". _

"_Don't even consider yourself my friend anymore, Ichigo." She hissed, her grip tightening. _

_Ichigo dropped the act, and stared right back in to her eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure? You never seem to talk to me anymore. What the fuck did I do to make you hate me, eh? I have Nel bugging me all day about how me and you never talk anymore, and I told her the truth – I have no fucking idea why. I did nothing, Tatsuki. You were the one who didn't want anything to do with me, remember? How long has it been now? Two years?" _

"_You know exactly why I didn't want to see you again, so don't act dumb." _

"_I had no clue what the hell you're talking about! You basically attacked me, and told me to never talk to you or Inoue again!" _

"_I did that for a reason! Are you really so dense that even after two years you don't remember?" _

"_If I fucking knew I wouldn't be asking, would I?"_

"_I caught you in bed with her! I thought you were different, Ichigo! I thought you were better than all those other guys, but it turns out you're just the same." Tatsuki screamed, tears beginning to well in her eyes. She let go, and turned away, walking towards the window. Ichigo was stunned to silence. _

"_She thought you were better than that, you know." She said quietly, fists balled. "She still does, as hard as I try to convince her that all men are scum." _

"_So that's what this was all about, huh? You're an idiot Tatsuki. That was a misunderstanding, please let me explain –"_

"_I'm done letting you explain. You had two years to explain yourself. I tried to keep Orihime away from you, but this year, by the worst luck you end up in her class, so I can't do anything. But you can." Tatsuki turned to look at Ichigo, and he saw her expression was completely serious now. _

"_I've told you this once, and I'll say it again – stay away from her, Ichigo. You of all people should know how much she hurts… how much she continues to hurt. She has a lot on her plate this year and just doesn't need any trouble, got it? She is finally starting to act normal again, well, more like herself anyway," a shaky chuckle came from her lips, though she looked as though she wanted to strange something. _

"_What makes you think I can't help?" _

"_Because Ichigo… you are part of the reason she still hurts." _

_Ichigo was dead silent. He hated how right she was. But he wouldn't give up – he felt guilt-ridden for what he had done to her. It was his fault. It was his entire fault. _

"_Look Tatsuki, what happened with Rukia was a misunderstanding. I still think of you and Inoue as my friend, so please, let me be her friend. That's all I want. I'm not the same weak kid I was then, I-I…" he trailed off as that fateful night played in his head. _

_It was his fault. _

_All of this was his fault. _

"_I want to help her. If not that, then just apologize. You don't know how bad I feel for causing her all this bullshit. I'm the one to blame for what happened that night, Tatsuki." _

"_How do you think I feel, eh Kurosaki? She's my best friend, and I'm as much to blame as you. That's why I'll protect her, because I couldn't that night." _

"_Don't act like you don't think it was entirely my fault for what happened to her that night, Tatsuki." Ichigo shot back, narrowing his eyes at her. Tatsuki glared back with equal intensity. _

"_So what if I think it was your fault? What's done is done. There is no going back, so just move on, and stay away from Orihime. Don't make me tell you a third time, Ichigo." The brunette warned. _

"_And if I don't?" Ichigo challenged. _

Ichigo rubbed his cheek, where the bruise was still prominent. He should have just kept his mouth shut.

Damn Tatsuki.

The orange-haired teen was angry; angry that he wasn't given a chance to apologize to Inoue; angry at himself for triggering such a horrific event in her life; angry that Tatsuki was right.

But he was also confused. Why did he even feel like he had to apologize, after so many years? Why did he feel the need to prove he could protect her? Why did he feel so… passionate about this whole ordeal?

* * *

Rukia-chan was angry.

Or was she upset?

Perhaps it was both.

Orihime couldn't quite put her finger on the emotions she currently perceived from her tiny friend who had just suddenly barged through the front door, not even bothering to knock though Orihime could have sworn she locked it. She was cursing someone's name, but once she saw Orihime was home she stopped, knowing the girl did not like bad words.

At first she was worried – Rukia's pretty violet eyes sparkled like she had been crying – however after trying to console her and ask why she was crying, she yelled that she wasn't crying; something had flown into her eyes.

Now they both had settled down in her apartment, wordlessly, while she studied the smaller petite girl who had simply dumped her bag and the bags of food on the ground and stalked to the kitchen, snatching the strawberry icecream out of her freezer draw and violently ripping off the lid before shovelling spoonful by spoonful of frosty delicacy into her mouth.

_Definitely both, _Orihime noted.

Rukia's coarse actions made the auburn-haired girl smile as she watched from the kitchen, packing the treats and sweets on to the counter. Rukia-chan had made herself at home immediately, as she always did, flicking on the television and sitting cross-legged in front of the screen where anime characters fluttered about, still piling icecream into her mouth. Orihime silently wondered where she put it all.

_How can she not get a brain freeze from eating it so quickly! My head hurts after two consecutive spoonful's! Then again, Rukia-chan loves cold things… I think it calms her, in a way. _

She certainly looked a lot calmer than her original state; her slim shoulders slumped back, and she leisurely leant back on one arm while the other poked at the icecream tub, eyes widening when two characters kissed. Orihime skipped to the lounge, a spoon in hand, and plopped herself down next to Rukia. Her eyes lit up in recognition as she scooped some icecream into her mouth.

"Finally!" she pumped a fist into the air, exclaiming loudly and making Rukia stare at her peculiarly.

"Those characters have been friends for a very long time, but have never admitted to having any feelings for each other, instead hiding it behind snide remarks and punches. It looks like they have finally got over their differences and now make the cute couple I imagined them to be!" Orihime exclaimed in a chirpy voice, her eyes glazing over as she watches the two anime characters on-screen.

A snort came from Rukia-chan. Orihime turned her daydreaming away from the television and looked at her friend with worry, who was now uninterested in the programme.

"Are you sure you are okay, Rukia-chan?" her voice was laced with such concern, Rukia felt guilty for not immediately revealing what happened. That only added to her guilt, because she was reminded of the lie she told Orihime when she first started at Karakura High.

Rukia had not told anyone, not Ichigo, nor Orihime, of her origins. She didn't know why, but she felt it would be best to keep it a secret that she was merely adopted into the Kuchiki family and had grown up on the streets of Karakura. She had lost so many friends because of it, and didn't want Orihime to be one too. Rukia knew it was stupid – Orihime was different, and a true friend – and wanted to tell her, but she was just waiting for the best time. Her brother hadn't moved them here simply because of his change of profession; no, it would have been much easier for them both if they lived in Tokyo – he wouldn't have to travel back and forth all the time, despite the fact that Tokyo is not too far from Karakura. They moved here because Nii-sama wanted to try to find her biological parents. Rukia was having trouble adapting to life in Tokyo as the adoptive sister of Byakuya Kuchiki – the private schools he sent her to would expel her for fighting with the others girls. They knew she hadn't grown up lavishly; she couldn't hide it from those who had been raised with money. Sooner or later they found out she was only adopted into the Kuchiki family and she was made all too aware of how cruel teenage girls could be. Of course she would try and ignore what they said, silence them with a punch to the face or a roundhouse kick, and while that worked in getting them to shut up, it also got her expelled from some of the finest schools Tokyo had to offer.

What really annoyed Rukia the most was that after a while, she began to believe what they said – their words affected her more than she would ever admit in a million years. She had never been good at making friends; even in the academy her only friend was Renji. He called her a "lone wolf", and that was as good as she'd ever get at describing herself when it came to interaction with others. Or maybe socially retarded. That would also fit well.

Could you really blame her though? For as long as she could remember, she had been alone before she met Renji and the others. How she survived, she didn't know. It was a lot of cold nights, begging for food, and when that didn't work, stealing food from carts when the owners weren't looking. It was survival of the fittest out there. According to her adoptive brother, she was left on the doorstep of an orphanage by her older sister, Hisana, who was only eight at the time. They were abandoned at a very young age, and left to die on the streets. Hisana had wanted to look after her, she truly did, but it was hard, and eventually it got to her. She told Nii-sama she regretted it every single day for the rest of her life, and he relayed this back to her. Rukia's memories of the orphanage were hazy, but she did remember leaving it, the day she turned five. It was a nice place run by nuns. Her foster parents were not so nice. They yelled and threatened a lot that first year, and finally slapped her for talking back. Shocked and angry, Rukia left, intending to return to the orphanage. However, once outside, she was hopelessly lost. She couldn't find the orphanage, or even her foster home. It didn't take her long to adapt to that life, though it was very hard. She came to the realisation that people wouldn't help you, even if you were a begging six year old.

One day, when she was eight, she had been scoping out the markets for her dinner, still keeping her distance because the vendors knew her face off by heart. She heard a commotion, and found a group of boys trying to steal water. They were being chased, and would have been caught too, if she didn't intervene and tell them to follow her. They quickly declared her their leader, but one boy wasn't very happy about it. It was that day that she finally made friends.

It was that day that she met her _best friend_, who would stay by her side for years to come. It was that day that she didn't feel so alone anymore…

The petite girl shook her head of short locks, to rid herself of that pathetic thought. Why was she thinking about that day, all of a sudden? Why did her brain choose now to plague her of all those moments _they _spent together? Memories of _them_ huddled under shelters and running away from security guards laughing while both arms were full of food, sharing a piece of bread together after an unsuccessful day, or even arriving at the academy together. And lastly, the night Renji left…

"Rukia-chan?"

The dark-haired girl's head snapped up, and found Orihime oddly close, her hand gripping Rukia's and a look of worry etched in to her features. She stared down at their hands for a second, before Orihime realised what she was doing and pulled hers away with a blush. Rukia quickly explained herself before the auburn-haired girl could apologise.

"Sorry, I was just lost in my thoughts…" she hesitated, and not for the first time, was overcome with the desire to tell Orihime everything. They were friends, very good friends, and it was common for friends to share experiences, was it not? And the best thing was that the girl never pushed any further, or asked any questions. She simply listened.

But then she remembered – there was something Orihime wanted her advice on. She shouldn't be so selfish.

So Rukia smiled and said she was fine, just hungry.

Orihime always knew when someone was lying to her, but didn't want to come off as nosey or brash, so she didn't say anything.

_Rukia-chan will come around, and when she does, I'll be there. Like I always am for all of my friends. _

With that thought in mind, they both went to the kitchen in search of food. Rukia mentioned that she had also brought some delicious pork soup from home, so after Orihime slopped in a generous amount of wasabi and tofu, they sat down at her small table and dug in. Well, Rukia did. Orihime pushed her soup around the bowl with the silver spoon, deep in thought.

_Rukia-chan will probably think I am an idiot for accepting such a… crazy challenge. It's so unlike me! I don't know how to even start, or explain it. She doesn't know of the feelings I used to have for Kurosaki-kun, so I don't know how she will react to Rangiku-san's suggestions, or Tatsuki-chan's accusations. I don't want her to think wrong of me over what happened today with Kurosaki-kun… _

Her eyebrows furrowed as confusion washed over her. This did not go unnoticed by Rukia, who had suddenly become all too aware of how Orihime hadn't touched her food yet.

_Wait, why do I even care? None of that matters anymore. I told myself a long time ago that I would not feel that way about him. Not after all of the trouble I put him through – he deserves so much more than me, he has been through so much. All I do is cause catastrophes; I am just a burden to everyone…_

She hadn't felt this feeling in a long time, yet her brain still registered it perfectly; despair. It was a feeling she had fought against for so many years, a feeling she had promised herself she would never feel again – even if it meant lying to herself and pretending it was non-existent. It was always there though, just under the surface, dormant for the moment but every now and then it would rise – in times when she was extremely stressed or anxious – but as quickly as it rose, she would push it back again, back in to the depths of her subconscious. It wasn't healthy apparently, and many therapists had told her it would come back to haunt her one day, but that was in the future and right now Orihime just wanted to focus on the present. She had no desire to think about the future, only what was happening in that instant, and most of all, did not want to visit the past.

_That's the thing with Kurosaki-kun though… he reminds me of the past so much. He makes me remember times I do not wish to remember… _

Her mind flashed back to _that_ night, three years ago.

_Rain pelting against her skin, washing away the red that engulfed her vision, clearing away the darkness and bringing her back to reality – a darkness even more sinister. Her own red mingled with the red of another. A lifeless body stared at her, a smile lingering on the pale face that seemed to make her feel only worst. In the distance, sirens pierced the night. She felt someone shaking her, a voice calling her back to life. _

"_Inoue…"_

"_Inoue…" _

"Inoue!"

The head of auburn hair snapped up at the sound and was met with Rukia's scrutinizing gaze.

"Are you with me?"

"Gomensai, Rukia-chan. Head in the clouds, you know me. Were you saying something?"

"I was just asking why you have yet to touch your meal – you usually eat anything with so much vigour."

Orihime glanced down at her soup and was immediately nauseous. The sight of the red bean paste mixed with the soup strangely looked like blood to her. She suddenly shoved the food away before she hurled at the thought.

"I am not hungry; I think I will pass on dinner."

Rukia was undeniably worried now, and reached over to feel the startled princess's forehead. She waved her hands, exclaiming how she wasn't sick.

Rukia gazed at her intensely, as though trying to pick at her brain.

_It is one thing for her to zone out like that – it happens all the time – but for her to decline food? There is something wrong with Orihime. It must just be what she wants to talk to me about and it has her nervous. She doesn't seem like starting, so I guess I will have to force it out of her. _

"So… something interesting happen at school today that I missed?"

"A-Ahh, yes." She cleared her throat, unsure of where to start. "Well… the thing is… I… um…. I kind of accepted this challenge, of sorts. A bet, really. From Rangiku-san."

Rukia waited for her to continue, and noticed how she had gone ten shades redder. It must have been something outrageous, especially if it was from Matsumoto. From what Rukia heard, the older woman was… unconventional.

"S-She wants me to," Orihime swallowed the lump forming in her throat, "u-um, create a list of people who I think would be perfect together, a-and then try to make them become a couple. For every couple I get together, they will buy me a jar of the bean paste I love. I know it sounds stupid, Rukia-chan, but I really like bean paste, and they think I would be good at it because –"

"You read a lot of romance novels, ne?" Rukia raised an eyebrow. She didn't find it absolutely ridiculous. In fact, she thought it sounded perfect for the bubbly girl. Orihime was always so absorbed in all things romance, and usually knew the outcome of a relationship every single time they watched a movie together. Rukia could see why they would challenge her with this.

"Y-Yes, exactly. Do you think I'm a fool for accepting? It isn't too late to pull out. I probably could tell them that I took up too many activities and don't have enough time, I suppose, and just live with them annoying me for the rest of my life." Orihime pouted, hanging her head in a depressed manner.

"I think it would be perfect for you. You should do it."

Orihime's eyes lit up, "really, you think so?"

Rukia smiled brightly. "Of course, and I will help you where I can, okay? I know how much you love red bean paste."

She was suddenly enveloped in strong arms and being suffocated by a massive chest.

"Thank you, Rukia-chan!"

"Can't… breathe…"

Orihime heard her friend mumbling something and immediately loosened her grip, apologizing profoundly. Rukia simply fixed herself with a huff.

"For tonight, would it be a problem if we just relaxed? I can help you with starting this list tomorrow, or any night you are not working I will come and stay, and I can tell Nii-sama that we are working on a project, but today has just been…" Rukia grimaced when Renji's annoying face popped in to her mind.

"Momentous."

Orihime beamed at her friend and nodded happily. "That's fine with me Rukia-chan! I have work every night until the weekend, so does Friday sound okay?"

"Perfect." Rukia grinned back. As she was getting up, Orihime tugged lightly on her hand. The petite brunette turned her gaze to the auburn-haired beauty, but she was not looking at her. Instead her gaze was focused on the carpet.

"T-There was just one m-more thing I wanted to ask, if Kuchiki-san doesn't mind?" She sounded nervous, and her referring to Rukia as Kuchiki-san meant that it was something she thought she should not be speaking to her about.

Rukia didn't shake off her hand, but instead forced as much kindness in to her tone as possible, "what is it, Orihime?"

"A-ano, well… you see… Tatsuki-chan and Rangiku-san said something today and-and don't get me wrong, it didn't bother me or anything – I don't like rumours and don't believe them anyway… but… u-um – areyouandKurosaki-kundating?!" Orihime blurted out the last part so fast it was hard for Rukia to comprehend what she was talking about for a moment. As soon as she deciphered what she had said, the brunette began laughing. Very loudly.

Orihime stared at her friend in bewilderment, as she wiped tears away from the corners of her violet eyes. She finally settled down enough to form a coherent sentence.

"Y-You… think… that idiot and I are _dating_?!"

Another wave of slightly insane laughter.

"No! I don't believe rumours, I just wanted to clear them up, that's all, and set everything straight!"

And another fit of giggles.

Once the laughter was out of her system, Rukia gave another whoop then a sigh, before smirking at Orihime.

"What in their right minds give them _that _impression?"

Orihime bit her lip and twirled her thumbs around embarrassingly. A blush coated her cheeks. "They just say that you two spend a lot of time together and therefore…"

"Believe me when I say that Ichigo and I are nothing more than friends, if that. I have yet to introduce him to my brother. He annoys the hell out of me with his completely idiocy to the point that I feel as though I must protect him from his own unfathomable density. I hang out with him merely because he is perhaps the only person at school, besides you evidently, who is actually nice enough to put up with me." Rukia finished her rant with a sigh, and then turned her head away so Orihime could not see her face.

"Besides, Ichigo reminds me of another infuriating person that I know."

A head of bright red hair and a smirking face once again intruded on her thoughts.

She frowned, while Orihime was awfully interested to hear more.

_Could Rukia-chan be interested in someone?_

* * *

**I had this idea of continuing it with another awkward encounter, but I'll leave that for the next chapter! Bear in mind - this is all the first day. SIX CHAPTERS JUST ON THE FIRST DAY! Meh, hopefully everything can just go faster from here! Any guesses as to what they are talking about? :) I'd love to hear everyone's opinion! Also, I am taking pairing suggestions, so leave a comment on who YOU would like to see paired. I will post the definite pairings next chapter, but some will be revealed a little later, as a surprise. **

**-ForTheLoveOfLiterature01**


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